Counterbalance lift trucks are basically lift trucks that are engineered with counterweight at the rear of the machine. The counterweight works to balance the weight which the blades are carrying at the front of the load. This 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 lift trucks can usually be found in every manufacturer's product range. They are normally manufactured in a variety of configurations and sizes, using a variety of fuel sources. These forklifts could be designed with 4 or 3 wheels, or be outfitted. They are capable of working in various applications. These types of lift trucks are outfitted with a range of accessories. Common attachments and options comprise: side shifts, hydraulic clamps, slip sheet attachments and fork shifts just to mention some items.

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

What's more, the counterbalanced lift truck is not necessarily limited to warehouse environments. They are usually used for heavy use and container carrying together with pretty much every application in between. Counterbalance forklifts are the most versatile and widely utilized of all materials handling machinery.

The counterbalanced lift truck is common in many working environments, like warehousing, production and retail. This is due to their versatility and durability. Some of the industrial applications comprise: timber, automotive, chemical and food industries.