Employ a Class I-III fork lift truck provider for lighter, tighter duties

If you literally run a tight ship, either with close quarters or with the need to breathe, buy an electric powered fork lift to handle materials without worrying about exhaust fumes or the additional expense of procuring fossil fuel.

I recommend: Raymond produces a full line of electric fork lift trucks, including pallet jacks, walk-behinds and three-wheel trucks for a smaller turning radius. Or, look at one of four narrow-aisle lift trucks from Yale Materials Handling to fit your particular material handling needs.

Move up the fork lift truck class chart for more demanding loads

For longer shifts, larger warehouses or faster loading or assembly times, look at Class IV fork trucks to supply a CNG or LP powered truck. They're powerful enough to run harder than the lower classes, but with LPG or CNG, they'll burn cleaner than gasoline or diesel, and generally are small enough to be easily maneuverable indoors.

I recommend: The Mitsubishi fleet of fork lift trucks includes class IV’s that lift between 1 1/2 and 3 1/2 tons. Komatsu has produced quality fork lift trucks since 1945.

Tackle the heaviest loads with the highest class fork lift trucks

Class V fork lift trucks with their internal combustion engines power through multi-ton load lifts. Their pneumatic tires not only offer their operator some shock absorption, they provide better traction to maneuver over the floor whether it's a large-scale warehouse or a shipyard.

I recommend: TCM produces a line of diesel engine fork lift trucks that handle up to 10 tons. Hyster manufactures forklift trucks that can stack shipping containers weighing as much as 40 tons five high. Use their product selection tool to narrow down the right fork lift truck for your materials handling operation.