Counterbalance lift trucks are essentially forklifts that are designed with counterweight at the back of the machine. The counterweight works to balance the weight which the tines are carrying at the front of the cargo. This design is engineered to stabilize traditional forklifts. When it comes to electric counterbalance forklifts, the counterweight is formed by the battery itself.

Practically every lift truck manufacturer will have in their product range, a counterbalance forklift. These equipment will come in a wide variety of fuel sources, sizes and configurations. These lift trucks can with pneumatic or solid tires, and be designed with 3 or 4 wheels. They are capable of working in various applications. These forklifts are equipped with different types of accessories. Common options and attachments consist of: side shifts, hydraulic clamps, slip sheet attachments and fork shifts just to mention a few.

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

Counterbalance forklifts are not necessarily limited to the warehouse. They are usually utilized for heavy use and container carrying along with pretty much every use in between. Counterbalance forklifts are the most widely used and versatile of all materials handling machinery.

The counterbalanced lift truck is common in numerous working environments, like production, retail and warehousing. This is due to their versatility and durability. Several of the industrial use consist of: automotive, timber, chemical and food industries.