It was during the beginning of the 20th Century when the first forklifts were introduced. These equipment over the past 90 plus years has changed the material handling industries and even the recycling business. The factors for safe operation, the forklift's evolution and the many different kinds are discussed below.
History of Lift Trucks
Powered industrial trucks are also called forklifts and lift trucks, were first introduced and created during the latter part of the 19th Century. These first models were low lift trucks that could raise platforms only several inches from the ground. Generally, these kinds of equipment were utilized for moving supplies within a shop, such as work-in-progress situations. In the late 1910s, high lift trucks initially emerged and truck design enhancements began to take root from there. The tier trucks ultimately developed and this allowed for greater storage effectiveness and stacking of loads.
Throughout the 1930s, there were some extremely difficult economic times. However, during this time, labor was freely available but capital for investment was increasingly harder to come by. This situation greatly slowed the growth of forklift 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 found that a forklift and its operator could handle the work of numerous men and were extremely productive. As the War progressed, many women drivers filled the numerous demands. When the war was over, lift trucks became a mainstay of the material handling business. They were used a lot in the Pacific war efforts. Several of the leftover pallets and forklifts within 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 biggest pallet pooling company.
Diesel/Gasoline
Diesel and gasoline engines have a lot of advantages. They are readily available all over the world; 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.
Several of the gas and diesel engines disadvantages consist of: they require a lot more maintenance than electric versions, due to the emissions they release, they are not suitable to be utilized indoors, there is some cost and difficulty associated to oil and fluid disposal and they need a re-fueling post on-site if they are going to be in continuous use.