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What is a Forklift Truck
A fork lift truck, also called a stacker truck or a trailer load, is a machine that is designed to lift exceptionally heavy loads and move them from one location to another onsite. The heavy loads are already on top of pallets and the forklift is maneuvered so the two forks at the front slots into the pallet and then it can be lifted to the appropriate height. Once the load is at the desired height the truck is then driven to a specific location and the load can be placed down safely and securely. Forklift trucks are most commonly used in distribution companies or warehouses especially unloading and loading vans with goods.
History of the Fork Truck
It was in the early 1900s that the development of the modern forklift we know today was seen. Clark, a well known fork lift brand still today, was the first name to be widely associated with fork lift trucks. In 1917 Clark (USA) developed a powered tractor and a powered lift tractor to be used in their factories. The fork lift has been tweaked and built up into what we now know as the fork lift truck. It was after the Second World War that warehouses began implementing more efficient ways of storing their goods and so the need for fork lifts became more popular. In 1956 Toyota introduced their first fork lift truck model which became popular all over the world.
New or Fork Truck Hire
In business today there is the option of buying a brand new fork truck or using a forktruck hire company. Essentially when businesses are starting out it is more economical for them to hire their fork lift truck. The added benefit to hiring a fork truck is that any breakdowns or breakages of parts is replaced and sorted out by the forktruck hire firm which again saves the new business money.