If we are considering purchasing a forklift for our business, it’s worth taking into account not only the price but also its technical parameters. This is essential to ensure that the purchased forklift presents the highest quality and fulfills its role for as long as possible. Therefore, in the article below, we will discuss the construction of this equipment, available options, and also what forklift width works best.

Types of Forklifts and Definition


A forklift is a slow-moving vehicle with motor drive. It moves at a specific speed and is adapted to transport objects of even greater mass. For this reason, it is mainly used in warehouses, storage facilities, and halls.

Forklifts can be divided according to the drive they have built in. It can be:

  • manual (pallet jack) – a cart pushed by the operator
  • diesel — powered by diesel fuel, dedicated to work in open spaces
  • gas — extremely economical, recommended for work only in open spaces
  • electric — suitable for work in enclosed spaces, usually very load-bearing, intuitive to operate and economical to use
  • autonomous, self-driving forklift is a relative novelty on the market — it gives the entrepreneur many benefits (efficiency, minimizing downtime, goods damage, fewer accidents, etc.)

Division of Forklifts by Function

Forklifts can also be divided according to their purpose:

  • side-loading — designed primarily for transporting long loads (loads with non-standard dimensions)
  • reach trucks (telescopic) – dedicated to long-range movement of loads upward and forward (adapted for loads with large mass)
  • high-storage — equipped with a mast that extends both upward and forward – this enables greater maneuvering space when arranging elements in high-ceiling rooms
  • rough terrain — useful on construction sites and in hard-to-reach places,
  • slung — the forklift is attached to truck sets together with the load (characterized by good maneuverability)
  • container — distinguished by high load capacity, therefore used primarily in ports and warehouses

Forklift Width — Standard Fork Spacing

The equipment’s capabilities for lifting a given load will depend on the fork spacing of the forklift. Therefore, it should be adapted to the dimensions of pallets used by the company. In the case of pallet jacks, this also affects maneuverability, so it will be easier to operate, provided that the steering wheels have appropriate turning radius. The standard forklift width of this type is from 52 to 55 cm. It is adapted to europallets in every variant and other popular sizes. If the forks are spaced at least 14 to 45 cm apart, we are dealing with narrow spacing, however the 14 cm value is extremely rare.

Forklift Width — Wide Spacing


Standard spacing works in most cases, but sometimes the nature of the business requires wide fork spacing on the forklift. It will be useful when handling non-standard loads (e.g., very long ones). What’s more — it enables lifting europallets crosswise, which is very helpful where there isn’t much room for maneuvers.