It was in the start of the 20th Century when the first forklifts were launched. These machinery during the past 90 plus years has revolutionized the material handling industries and even the recycling industry. The factors for safe use, the lift truck's evolution and the various different kinds are discussed below.
History of Lift Trucks
These powered industrial trucks, also referred to as lift trucks and forklifts, were invented and launched to the market in the latter part of the 19th century. Originally, these units were low lift trucks that were only capable of raising platforms a few inches from the ground. Usually, these types of machinery were utilized for transporting material inside a shop, like work-in-progress situations. During the latter part of 1910s, high lift trucks first emerged and enhancements in truck design began to take root from there. The tier trucks eventually evolved and this allowed for greater storage effectiveness and stacking of loads.
There were really tough economic times during the 1930s. Nonetheless, in this time, labor was freely available but capital for investment was increasingly harder to come by. This situation significantly slowed the growth of forklift usage.
In World War II, forklifts became a strategic part of the war effort. During that era, vast shortages in manpower happened resulting from the wartime enlistment. It was discovered that its driver and the lift truck were very productive and can handle the work of numerous men. As the War progressed, a lot of women drivers filled the many demands. By the time the war was over, lift trucks became a mainstay of the material handling industry. They were used a lot in the Pacific war efforts. Some of the leftover pallets and lift trucks within Australia left behind by the United States Military became the basis for the Commonwealth Handling Equipment Pool or CHEP, who today is referred to as the world's biggest pallet pooling company.
Gasoline/Diesel
Gasoline and diesel engines have many advantages. They are always available all over the globe; they are suitable for heavy duty workloads, they deliver consistent power throughout the shift and many operators are quite familiar with the source of power.
Some of the major drawbacks of diesel and gasoline units consist of: they require much more maintenance than electric models, due to the emissions they release, they are not appropriate for indoor applications, there is some cost and difficulty associated to disposal of oil and fluid and they require a re-fueling station on-site if they are going to be used always.