What Are the Different Types of Forklifts?

Offering Various Types of Forklifts to Dayton, OH Clients

We’ll Help You Select The Right Forklift for Your Warehouse

Everything you do impacts your business. Why not get the most out of your equipment? Miami Industrial Trucks leads the way in helping clients optimize their operations and increase efficiency and safety. We can help you choose the right type of forklift that helps your Dayton, Findlay, Toledo, and Troy, OH business serve your clients and meet deadlines. We have established a reputable brand since our start in 1956. Our professionalism and expertise are top-notch. You can trust our team to lead you in the right direction. If you need a forklift, trust our guide to selecting the most effective option.

Understanding Key OSHA Classifications

We take our satisfaction guarantee seriously. One of the ways we prove ourselves is by educating our clients. For instance, each type of forklift has an OSHA classification, helping you and your company come to the right conclusion about what you need. We can help you determine which one is your best option. All you need to do is contact our team. Keep in mind the following guidelines:

  • Class 1: They are powered by electric motors and are used indoors to protect air quality.
  • Class 2: These battery-operated forklifts move in narrow and tight spaces.
  • Class 3: Class 3 forklifts can quickly offload inventory from trucks.
  • Class 4: Used for low-clearance situations and featuring an internal combustion engine.
  • Class 5: These gas or diesel forklifts can handle rough terrain.
  • Class 6: Class 6 forklifts can haul and tow loads with battery, gas, or diesel engines.
  • Class 7: Using Class 7 forklifts on uneven sites for high-elevation lifting is best.

Warehouse Forklifts Deliver Convenience and Effectiveness

Warehouse managers need a reliable forklift. Warehouse forklifts are the most recognizable type of forklift. Our inventory includes industry-leading brands like Caterpillar, Jungheinrich, and Mitsubishi, giving you plenty to make the right decision. Our experts are most useful in helping you determine how heavy-duty a forklift you require. Some can lift up to 5,000 pounds, while others can handle up to 25,000 pounds. A warehouse forklift’s most common uses include:

  • Inventory: Warehouse forklifts are rugged enough to handle all kinds of inventory and agile enough to navigate your facility.
  • Offloading: Getting items from your shelves to delivery trucks quickly and safely is important! Warehouse forklifts are the perfect choice.

Side Loaders Offer Convenience and Versatility

Side Loaders are similar to warehouse forklifts. But if you own a steel service center or manage an environment with heavy-duty needs, it is a better option. Your workers will stand in a side compartment, and the loader gets the work done. Because of their configuration, they are perfect for navigating tight spaces. Your team can drive along stacks and load and unload inventory without turning. The caged compartment offers safety, and we offer numerous manufacturers and can advise you on the ideal choice. Plus, we can help with parts if you ever need them. Side loaders can easily move heavy items like:

  • Long steel pipes
  • Beams
  • Timber
  • Lumber

Counterbalance Forklifts: Perfect for a Range of Uses

If you are looking for something capable of handling heavy loads, consider a counterbalance forklift. They are popular due to their unique design. You can choose from various options, including a three-wheel alternative that allows operators to turn in circles when needed. We offer industry-leading brands including Caterpillar, Jungheinrich, and Mitsubishi backed by our Beyond World Class Service. Key benefits of this type of forklift include:

  • The counterbalanced design reduces tipping over and increases safety.
  • They have a long lifespan, making them ideal for budget-conscious companies.
  • They are available in numerous configurations.

Choose a Telehandler for Heavy-Load Functionality

Telehandlers are a combination of cranes and forklifts. They feature a boom, an extendable arm, and twin forks at the end. This type of forklift is popular with clients working in environments with odd angles and obstacles. They are rugged and durable and can lift up to 5,500 pounds 19 feet in the air. Tight spaces are no match for a telehandler. Because they are so popular and useful, more manufacturers than ever are producing high-quality options for customers like you. Use your telehandler in a massive warehouse or on a construction site. The choice is yours.

Heavy-Duty Forklift: 30,000 Pounds of Lifting Power

Heavy-duty forklifts handle significant loads – hence their other name: large-capacity forklifts. They can’t reach awkward angles, so we suggest a telehandler if you need that kind of performance. But if that isn’t an issue, we recommend this type of forklift. At a minimum, they can handle loads of up to 30,000 pounds. They feature hydraulic levels that combine reach and power, making heavy-duty forklifts perfect for industrial environments with varied load requirements. You can feel safe knowing your client’s inventory is protected, and your employees are safe. We offer an impressive inventory of options, so contact our team today.

Rough Terrain Forklifts Are Perfect for Outdoor Work

Rough terrain forklifts are perfect for outdoor environments with uneven surfaces, such as construction sites. The pneumatic tires are oversized and threaded, making them effective in all weather conditions. Rough terrain forklifts are well-balanced and stable, ensuring they operate safely. If you do at least some of your work outside, we recommend this type of forklift to handle the things others can’t. Some other benefits of choosing a rough terrain forklift include:

  • They can operate on slopes, while standard forklifts cannot.
  • Rough terrain forklifts have better ground clearance.
  • They feature optimized power and output.
  • You can count on increased traction.
  • You won’t have to invest as much in maintenance.

Pallet Jacks: The Simplest Type of Forklift

Also called pump tracks, this type of forklift is a highly-specialized option. They aren’t big, so if you need to lift heavy loads, you’re better off with a more substantial option. But pallet jacks are ideal in most warehouse environments. Many of our clients have several in addition to Class 2 or 3 forklifts. What they lack in power, they make up for in maneuverability. Your team can use them in tight spaces to remove inventory and transport it to deliver trucks without reloading onto new equipment. They don’t cost as much and are perfect for clients with minimal needs. We offer pallet jacks from various manufacturers, so let us know what you are looking for today.

Walkie Stackers Are Effective and Safe

Walkie stackers are not powerful or fast and don’t operate in tight spaces well. But they are perfect when your workers need to reach a pallet higher than a normal pallet jack. There is no enclosure, but the operator stands behind the machine while using it. We know the importance of reliable equipment that is safe to use, and our walkie-stackers get the job done. We work with industry-leading brands like Jungheinrich and Big Joe and offer Beyond World-class customer support. If you have trouble with your forklift, we can provide repairs with our various service offerings.

Order Pickers Are Perfect for Logistics and Warehouses

An order picker is similar to a walkie-stacker. But it can reach heights of up to 46.9 feet with our Jungheinrich Order Picker, making it ideal if you have inventory in taller racks. The machine will lift your team members to where they need to go so they can manually remove items. Our customer service warehouse clients are fond of these forklifts because they are effective and safe. If your storage facility needs upgraded equipment, trust Miami Industrial Trucks Inc. We offer high-caliber order pickers including the industry-leading Jungheinrich brand. Your new order picker will:

  • Decrease wasted time and increase efficiency.
  • Improve safety for your employees.
  • Allow you to move more inventory each day.

Reach Fork Trucks Get the Job Done

Bigger warehouses have taller racks. As a result, some of our customers need a forklift capable of reaching significant heights. If that sounds like you, consider one of our reach fork trucks. They extend to impressive heights in ways that a standard forklift cannot. The open compartment allows your workers to view their surroundings and stay safe. You cannot use a reach fork truck outside. If you need similar performance but outside, you might try a telehandler for use in both circumstances. Your reach fork truck will provide the following benefits:

  • The stabilizing legs make the machinery safe to operate.
  • The forward-extending forks make reaching inventory at the back of racks easy.
  • They are quick and efficient and maximize your time.

Turret Trucks Reach Unbelievable Heights

As building costs explode, warehouses are reaching new heights and maximizing their cube. As a result, some of our customers need a very narrow aisle forklift that is capable of reaching significant heights of up to 57.4 feet. Turret trucks are designed for maximum versatility in narrow aisle warehouses. They can be used to put away and retrieve full pallets and individual boxes alike. Jungheinrich turret trucks will provide the following benefits:

  • Operator comfort, stability, and productivity.
  • They run for up to two shifts on one battery charge. The three-phase AC motor offers both power and acceleration for productivity and low maintenance requirements for decreased ownership costs.
  • Technology-leading semi-automated position approach with exclusive Warehouse Navigation System

Contact Us Today for Your Next Forklift Purchase

You can trust Miami Industrial Trucks to get the job done. We are a full-service company offering various services, including new and used sales and forklift training. We have spent years refining our customer service tactics and are confident we can deliver on our promises. You will receive the right type of forklift when you work with our company because each of our team members is knowledgeable. We take pride in getting results and can’t wait to work with your team today. Contact us today for more information about our services.