Counterbalance lift trucks are essentially forklifts that are engineered with counterweight at the back of the machine. The counterweight works to balance the weight which the forks are carrying at the front of the load. This specific design is engineered to stabilize traditional lift trucks. As far as electric counterbalance forklifts are concerned, the counterweight is formed by the battery itself.

Counterbalance forklifts could often be found in every manufacturer's product range. They are typically manufactured in a range of sizes and configurations, using a variety of fuel sources. These lift trucks could with pneumatic or solid tires, and be designed with 3 or 4 wheels. They can work in various applications. These kinds of lift trucks are outfitted with different kinds of accessories. Common attachments and options consist of: fork shifts, slip sheet attachments, side shifts and hydraulic clamps just to mention a few.

Counterbalance lift trucks have changed the material handling industry. They have become the cornerstone of storage and distribution systems where they perform loading, stacking, unloading and horizontal transport functions. The standard warehouse forklifts are usually used for lift heights less than 20 feet or 6 meters. There have been some recently developed units that are capable of lifting to heights 31 feet or 9.5 meters. The smaller 4000 lbs. or 1-1.8 ton forklifts are the main workhorses inside most warehouses. These are the most common units that most small businesses would own. The standard warehouse counterbalance forklift is a wide-aisle truck which requires around 11 feet or 3 meters to turn in.

Moreover, the counterbalanced lift truck is not necessarily confined to warehouse settings. They are normally used for heavy use and carrying containers together with basically every use in between. Counterbalance lift trucks are the most widely utilized and versatile of all materials handling machines.

The counterbalanced lift truck is common in numerous working environments, such as retail, warehousing and production. This is because of their durability and versatility. Several of the industrial use comprise: automotive, timber, chemical and food businesses.