The lift truck is a mobile equipment that utilizes 2 prongs or forks to lift and place loads into positions which would be usually hard to reach. Typically, lift trucks fall into 2 major categories: industrial and rough-terrain.
Most commonly, industrial lift trucks are utilized around truck loading docks and train loading docks along with in warehouse operations. These machines have smaller tires that are engineered to run on smooth surfaces. Normally, industrial lift trucks are powered by an internal gasoline engine running on diesel fuel or propane.
There are some smaller industrial lift truck units that utilize an electric motor running off an internal battery. As the name implies, rough terrain forklifts are engineered to run on rough and unpaved surfaces. Commonly, they are the great alternative for military and construction applications. Rough terrain lift trucks normally have big pneumatic tires which are normally powered by internal industrial engines that run on diesel or propane fuel. These lift truck models can have a telescoping boom, capable of carrying cargo up and out from the machine's base or they can use a vertical tower, that is responsible for carrying loads straight up.
In 1946, the rough terrain forklift emerged as a 2 pronged lift attachment was placed on a tractor chassis or a power buggy. This initial machine was used around construction sites and could raise to a height of 30 inches or 76 centimeters and had a lifting capacity can carry 1000 pounds or 454 kg. Vertical tower forklifts were rapidly developed for industrial use and rough terrain lift trucks became famous too. By the time the 1950s came around, there were available models that could lift up to heights of 9 meters or 30 feet and had lift capacities of 1135 kg or 2500 pounds.
During the year 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 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 in the year 1962. This unit enabled loads to be positioned out from the base of the machinery both below and above grade.