The forklift truck is, without doubt, one of the most important assets a business that needs to move heavy goods around could own.

In a large warehouse such as the supply depots belonging to supermarkets, these industrial trucks will move pallets of produce onto supply lorries quickly and efficiently. There are many different types of industrial trucks now available but for the purpose of this article let us focus on the counterbalanced forklift.

Typically, the counterbalanced forklift will have as its counterweight a block of cast iron. Depending upon the weight of this iron block, the lift will have a set weight lifting capability when its forks are lifting to their maximum height. This weight must never be exceeded because of the danger of the truck toppling over. A plate fastened to the truck will provide appropriate information.

The truck’s mast is the vertical assembly set at the front of the truck and raises or lowers the load. It is also made up of interlocking rails. These rails give it lateral stability. It is operated by one or more of the hydraulic tilt cylinders attached to the truck’s frame and mast. Alternatively the mast may be chain operated using a hydraulic motor.

The carriage, to which the forks or other accessories are attached, is mounted the mast rails and moves up and down them either by using the chains or alternatively it might be attached to the hydraulic cylinder.

The forklift is usually powered by either diesel internal combustion engine or electricity supplied by batteries or fuel cells.

When a lift or freight lift is not available to carry large items to another floor, there are basically two types of industrial trucks purpose built to move the items up or down a flight of stairs. The trucks are known as ’stair-climbers’ and there are two types, powered or manual.

The manual stair-climber generally only has a light load-bearing capacity. The reason for this is that its motion and braking is governed by its user. The manual stair-climber sack trucks are fitted with a tri-wheel arrangement, two wheels at its front and one further back to rest on the next step up while the user moves further up the stairs.

Sacks or boxes need to be firmly strapped to the frame of the stair climber as a shift of weight to either side will alter the centre of gravity and possibly cause an accident.

The other industrial trucks purpose built for this kind of job is the powered stair-climber which, typically, will have two wheels at its front and an axle and two smaller wheels at its rear connected to the motor by steel bars. The bars are mounted on another axle in the motor which enable it to pull the climber and its load onto the next step. This particular climber is ideal for the movement of heavy safes, cabinets or vending machines. Purchasing this type ensures that whatever you need to transport – even smaller products, such as shelving or racking units – can be done more safely.

Both manual and powered stair-climbers have various load-bearing capacities and these stated capacities should be strictly adhered to. As with the manual stair climber, the load must be firmly secured to its frame.

In a large warehouse, such as a mail processing centre or a central supply warehouse for a supermarket, hand pallet trucks – although useful – are limited. Typically a mail sorting warehouse has many shelves and racking materials amd needs massive floor space – and approximately twelve loading bays for loading and unloading. In this kind of environment where speed is of the essence motorised industrial trucks are vital.

The versatile and highly manoeuvrable powered pallet trucks have a seating area from which the operator steers the truck around the warehouse. The driver will pick up a steel open-topped cage containing sacks of mail and deliver them to a sorting area on the shop-floor from which the mail handlers then sort the sacks into empty cages around them according to the area they are to be mailed. All cages have space beneath them for the forks.

The fork-lift truck with its high weight-bearing capacity and vertical reach is used to stack the cages around the centre, this time on wooden pallets to ensure they are safely held in position. However, the smaller and lighter pallet truck is normally used to load and unload the delivery vehicles. Generally speaking, the pallet and fork-lift trucks’ batteries will hold a charge of roughly ten hours, enabling them to be in constant use throughout a working shift.

To ensure safety in areas where fork-lift trucks are in operation, warehouse pedestrians are required to wear high-visibility vests at all times, and steel toe-capped boots or shoes. In a typical mail processing centre, walkways are clearly marked out and workers should not stray from them without carefully checking for trucks first.

Manual industrial trucks are useful for shops, small warehouses, offices and in some cases, the home as well. To move boxes around the premises, a load carrier is recommended. Typically, these types of industrial trucks will be able to bear loads up to three hundred kilograms on a platform with a handle that is easily used to push or pull the load around on castors. When not in use, the handle can be folded down, locked into place and the carrier will slip under shelves or lie flat against the wall.

A light, upright sack truck, usually constructed from aluminium, has a capacity of only seven kilograms, but is simply ideal for carrying stacked boxes or sacks. It will tilt back onto two wheels when being moved and some models have folding base plates, so they can be easily stored on large shelves. The sack truck is versatile and may even be used at home, in the garage or the garden.

Hand pallet trucks are ideal for use in small warehouses. The truck has two forks which are inserted under the pallet and the handle is used as a hydraulic pump to lift the forks and the pallet onto the forks wheels. Before moving, it is essential to ensure its load is evenly distributed across the pallet. To apply the brake, simply return the handle to an upright position. A foot pedal releases the air from the piston, dropping the pallet into its new position. With a typical load capacity of two thousand five hundred kilograms, the hand pallet truck is often a worthwhile investment.