The lift truck is a mobile machinery which utilizes 2 forks or prongs to lift and place cargo into positions that will be normally hard to reach. Usually, lift trucks fall into 2 major categories: rough-terrain and industrial.
Industrial lift trucks are most often used around train and truck loading docks in addition to many warehouse operation. These equipment have smaller tires that are engineered to run on paved surfaces. Normally, industrial lift trucks are powered by an internal gasoline engine running on propane or diesel fuel.
Smaller forklifts may run off an internal battery charging an electric motor. And as the name implies, the rough terrain lift truck is designed to be operated on unpaved and rough surfaces. Normally, they are the ideal choice for military and construction operation. Rough terrain lift trucks normally have big pneumatic tires that are usually powered by internal industrial engines which run on propane, diesel or propane fuel. These forklift units could have a telescoping boom, that could carry cargo up and out from the base of the machine or they may utilize a vertical tower, that is responsible for carrying loads straight up.
The rough terrain forklift emerged during the year 1946, after a 2 pronged lift attachment was attached to a tractor chassis or a power buggy. This initial equipment was utilized around construction sites and could lift to a height of 76 centimeters or 30 inches and had a lifting capacity can lift 454 kg or 1000 pounds. Vertical tower forklifts were rapidly developed for industrial application and rough terrain lift trucks became popular too. By the time the 1950s came around, there were units available that could lift up to heights of 9 meters or 30 feet and had lift capacities of 2500 lbs or 1135 kg.
The first 4-wheel drive rough terrain forklift was introduced in 1958. It offered a capacity of 6000 lbs. or 2724 kg and had a lift height of 7 meters or 22.5 feet or 1362 kg or 3000 lbs. and 11 meters or 35 feet. The first telescoping boom rough terrain lift truck emerged on the market during 1962. This model enabled cargo to be placed out from the equipment's base both above and below grade.