It was in the beginning of the 20th Century when the first lift trucks were introduced. These equipment over the past 90 plus years has revolutionized the material handling industries and even the recycling business. The considerations for safe use, the lift truck's evolution and the various different kinds are discussed below.
History of Lift Trucks
Powered industrial trucks are also known as lift trucks and forklifts, were first introduced and invented during the latter part of the 19th Century. These first units were low lift trucks which can raise platforms just several inches high. Usually, these machinery were used for transporting supplies within a store, such as work-in-progress situations. During the latter part of 1910s, high lift trucks initially emerged and improvements in truck design started to take root from there. The tier trucks ultimately evolved and this allowed for greater storage efficiency and stacking of loads.
There were really tough economic times during the 1930s. Then again, in this particular period, labor was freely available but money for investment was increasingly harder to come by. This situation really 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 happened resulting from the wartime enlistment. It was discovered that its driver and the forklift could deal with the work of numerous men and were very productive. As the War continued, lots of women operators filled the many demands. When the war was over, lift trucks became a mainstay of the material handling industry. They were used 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 referred to as the world's largest pallet pooling business.
Diesel/Gasoline
There are many advantages to using a gas or diesel powered engine. They are readily available around the globe; they deliver consistent power throughout the shift, they are perfect for heavy duty workloads and many drivers are quite familiar with the source of power.
A few of the major drawbacks of gasoline and diesel units comprise: they need a lot more maintenance compared to electric units, because of the emissions they release, they are not appropriate for indoor applications, there is some cost and difficulty connected to fluid and oil disposal and they require a re-fueling station on-site if they are going to be used always.