Forklift Truck, Lift truck, Reach Trucks & Accessories

Forklift Truck, Lift trucks, Reach Trucks.

A forklift truck is an industrial piece of equipment powered by electric, LPG, propane or diesel with a metal fork platform attached to its front. The truck is used to lift heavy loads by inserting the fork platform under cargo, pallets or containers, to move them around a manufacturing plant, industrial operation or warehouse environment for storage. The truck frame of a forklift truck forms the base for its lifting and includes wheels, counterweights, a carriage, and a mast.

Main functions of a forklift truck:

• Lifting and moving heavy loads
• Stacking and unstacking pallets
• Loading and unloading trucks
• Sorting and rearranging materials
• Picking and placing items
• Maintaining warehouse inventory

Forklift Truck Types

There are three main types of forklifts:

• Electric forklifts: These are powered by electric motors and are typically used in indoor environments. They are quiet and produce no emissions, making them a good choice for warehouses and other enclosed spaces.
• Internal combustion forklifts: These are powered by gasoline, diesel, or propane engines and are typically used in outdoor environments. They have a longer range than electric forklifts, but they are also louder and produce more emissions.
• Pedestrian-operated forklifts: These are small, lightweight forklifts that are operated by a pedestrian. They are typically used for light-duty lifting and moving tasks.

Articulated Forklift
Articulated forklift trucks are ideal for small spaces. The traditional articulated forklift is a sit-down configuration and provides the user with a narrow aisle forklift and a traditional counterbalance machine in the same unit. They provide a more cost-effective solution when it comes to maximising storage space and ergonomic operations.

Counterbalance Forklift
These are the most common forms of forklifts and come in 3 and 4 wheel models. The counterbalance forklift features two forks at the front and has the ability to drive up close to a load to pick it up and move it. They have a counterweight in the rear of the vehicle to compensate for the heavy load being lifted at the front. Counterbalance forklift trucks drive best on flat, smooth surfaces and should be used in more open spaces due to their large turning circle.

Side Loader Forklift
There are a variety of different sideloaders or forktrucks which can be powered by diesel, LPG and even propane. This is a piece of materials handling equipment designed for long loads and is ideally suited to the timber and steel industries. The operator’s cab is positioned up front on the left-hand side. The area to the right of the cab is called the bed or platform. This contains a central section within it, called the well, and the forks are built to travel perpendicular to the truck as it moves.

Reach Forklift
Reach Trucks are forklifts used in narrow aisle applications, such as warehouses, and have two outer legs to distribute the load with a set of wheels in the back located below the operator. This allows operators to navigate smaller spaces, and still be able to reach higher racking

Turret Trucks
These trucks have an articulating base that rotates the forks 180 degrees. They are fairly high cost, requiring a guidance system and are much slower than both the reach truck or articulated machines.

Swing Mast
Swing mast machines have a unique design enabling drivers to rotate the mast assembly 90° and shift left and right to pick or place loads in racks. This can be done without turning the forklift and are therefore ideal for very narrow aisles.

Rough Terrain Forklifts
Designed to be driven over uneven, rocky, and pot hold surfaces while carrying heavy loads

• Telehandler or Telescopic
• Rotating or Roto Telehandler
• Straight Mast