It was during the start of the 20th Century when the very first lift trucks were launched. These machinery over the past 90 plus years has changed the material handling industries and even the recycling business. The considerations for safe use, the lift truck's evolution and the various different types 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 late 19th century. Initially, these models were low lift trucks that were just capable of raising platforms a few inches high. Generally, these types of equipment were used for transporting supplies in a shop, like work-in-progress situations. In the latter part of 1910s, high lift trucks first emerged and improvements in truck design began to take root from there. The tier trucks eventually developed and this allowed for greater stacking of loads and storage efficiency.
There were extremely hard economic times in the 1930s. However, in this period, labor was freely available but capital for investment was increasingly harder to come by. This situation really slowed the growth of forklift usage.
In WWII, forklifts became a strategic part of the war effort. During that era, vast shortages in manpower happened resulting from the wartime enlistment. It was found that a forklift and its driver were really productive and could deal with the work of many men. As the War progressed, many women drivers filled the numerous demands. By the time the war was over, forklifts became a mainstay of the material handling industry. They were utilized a lot in the Pacific war efforts. Several 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 largest pallet pooling company in the world.
Gasoline/Diesel
There are numerous advantages to utilizing a diesel or gas powered engine. They are readily available around the globe; they are suitable for heavy duty workloads, they deliver consistent power throughout the shift and lots of operators are quite familiar with the source of power.
Some of the diesel and gas engines drawbacks comprise: they require a lot more maintenance than electric versions, due to the emissions they release, they are not suitable to be utilized inside, there is some difficulty and cost connected to oil and fluid disposal and they need a re-fueling station on-site if they are going to be in continuous use.