The lift truck is a mobile machinery which uses 2 prongs or forks to carry and place cargo into positions that would be usually difficult to reach. Normally, lift trucks fall into 2 major categories: industrial and rough-terrain.
Most commonly, industrial lift trucks are used around train loading docks and truck loading docks as well as in warehouse operations. These equipment have smaller tires which are designed to run on smooth surfaces. Usually, industrial forklifts are powered by an internal gasoline engine running on propane or diesel fuel.
There are several smaller industrial forklift units which use an electric motor running off an internal battery. As the name implies, rough terrain lift trucks are designed to run on rough and unpaved surfaces. Usually, they are the great choice for construction and military operation. Rough terrain forklifts normally have big pneumatic tires that are normally powered by internal industrial engines that run on diesel or propane fuel. These lift truck units could have a telescoping boom, which could carry cargo up and out from the base of the machinery or they could utilize a vertical tower, which is responsible for lifting loads straight up.
The rough terrain forklift emerged in the year 1946, after a 2 pronged lift attachment was attached to a tractor chassis or a power buggy. This first machinery was utilized around construction sites and can lift to a height of 30 inches or 76 cm and had a lifting capacity can lift 1000 pounds or 454 kg. Vertical tower forklifts were quickly developed for industrial use and rough terrain lift trucks became famous too. By the time the 1950s came around, there were models available which could raise up to heights of 30 feet or 9 meters and had lift capacities of 1135 kg or 2500 pounds.
In the year 1958, the original 4-wheel drive rough terrain lift truck 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 35 feet or 11 meters. The very first telescoping boom rough terrain forklift emerged on the market in the year 1962. This model allowed cargo to be positioned out from the base of the machine both below and above grade.