It was during the start of the 20th Century when the very first lift trucks were introduced. These equipment over the past 90 plus years has revolutionized the material handling business and even the recycling business. The factors for safe operation, the lift truck's evolution and the many different kinds are discussed below.
History of Forklifts
Powered industrial trucks are also called forklifts and lift trucks, were initially introduced and created in the late 19th Century. These first models were low lift trucks which were capable of raising platforms only a few inches high. Normally, these equipment were utilized for transporting material inside a store, such as work-in-progress situations. In the late 1910s, high lift trucks first emerged and truck design improvements started to take root from there. The tier trucks eventually developed and this allowed for greater storage effectiveness and stacking of loads.
In the 1930s, there were some really tough economic times. Nonetheless, throughout this time, labor was freely available but capital for investment was increasingly more difficult to come by. This situation significantly slowed the growth of lift truck usage.
During World War II, lift trucks became a strategic part of the war effort. In that period, vast shortages in manpower occurred resulting from the wartime enlistment. It was discovered that a forklift and its driver were extremely productive and can handle the work of numerous men. As the War continued, a lot of women drivers filled the numerous demands. When the war was over, lift trucks became a mainstay of the material handling industry. They were utilized a lot in the Pacific war efforts. A few of the leftover pallets and forklifts in Australia left behind by the U.S. Military became the basis for the CHEP or Commonwealth Handling Equipment Pool, who today is known as the world's largest pallet pooling company.
Gasoline/Diesel
Gasoline and diesel engines have many advantages. They are always available around the world; they deliver consistent power throughout the shift, they are great for heavy duty workloads and lots of drivers are quite familiar with the source of power.
Several of the diesel and gas engines disadvantages include: they require a lot more maintenance compared to electric units, because of the emissions they release, they are not suitable to be used inside, there is some difficulty and cost associated to disposal of fluid and oil and they need a re-fueling post on-site if they are going to be utilized always.