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