Forklift trucks

Forklift trucks: diverse in construction and operation

The forklift truck with combustion engine runs on LPG or diesel. Petrol becomes too expensive because of the energy needed to make the machine work. Electric forklift trucks are used for the smaller models, especially for work in warehouses. There are four to six wheels under the truck. The 2 rear wheels provide the drive.

On the larger forklift trucks, the driver sits in a steel cage around the driver's seat. This is to protect the driver should the truck fall over or be knocked over. Most material handling forklift trucks have an average fork clearance of 1.20 metres. The forklift truck can be equipped with a so-called fork adjuster. Here the fork can be adjusted to different distances from each other. This allows pallets of different sizes to be transported. To lower the centre of gravity, the engine is placed under the driver's seat. The forklift trucks can vary greatly in size. As a result, their load capacity naturally varies too. This can vary from 500 kg to 90 tonnes. The lifting arms work with a hydraulic lifting system. The fork can also be tilted in some cases.

From warehouse to port: Forklift trucks can be used anywhere

There are different types of forklift trucks. The telescopic handler can be considered a forklift truck with a telescopic arm, which is suitable for driving on rough terrain. Many standard forklift trucks are not suitable for this. Another example of a forklift truck is the side loader. It transports loads in a longitudinal direction. This is handy with things of great length such as planks.

A forklift truck is different from a reach stacker. The reachstacker can stack as well as place a number of container rows next to each other. This is not possible with the forklift truck. It is often used in warehouses for building components, amongst other things.