Counterbalance forklifts are essentially lift trucks which are engineered with counterweight at the rear of the machine. The counterweight works to balance the weight that the forks are carrying at the front of the cargo. This design is engineered to stabilize typical forklifts. As far as electric counterbalance forklifts are concerned, the battery itself forms the counterweight.

Nearly every lift truck manufacturer would have in their product range, a counterbalance lift truck. These machinery will come in a wide assortment of fuel sources, sizes and configurations. These lift trucks could be designed with 3 or 4 wheels, or be fitted. They can work in diverse applications. These lift trucks are outfitted with a range of accessories. Common attachments and options include: side shifts, hydraulic clamps, fork shifts and slip sheet attachments just to mention a few.

Counterbalance lift trucks have revolutionized the material handling business. They have become the cornerstone of storage and distribution systems where they perform stacking, loading, unloading and horizontal transport functions. The standard warehouse lift trucks are typically used for lift heights less than 6 meters or 20 feet. There have been some recently developed 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 inside most warehouses. These are the most popular units that the majority of small companies would own. The average warehouse counterbalance forklift is a wide-aisle truck which requires approximately 11 feet or 3 meters to turn in.

Additionally, the counterbalanced forklift is not necessarily limited to warehouse environments. They are normally utilized for container carrying and heavy use together with pretty much every use in between. Counterbalance lift trucks are the most versatile and widely utilized of all materials handling machines.

The counterbalanced lift truck is common in many working environments, such as retail, warehousing and production. This is due to their durability and versatility. Several of the industrial applications include: food, chemical, automotive and timber businesses.