World War I saw the development of different types of material-handling equipment in the United Kingdom by Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies of Ipswich.

In 1919, the Towmotor Company and, in 1920, Yale & Towne Manufacturing, entered the lift truck market in the United States.

[7] For example, in 1954, a British company named Lansing Bagnall, now part of KION Group, developed what was claimed to be the first narrow-aisle electric-reach truck.

[6] That development changed the design of warehouses leading to narrower aisles and higher load-stacking, which increased storage capability.

Safety features such as load backrests and operator cages called overhead guards, began to be added to forklifts.

[4] In the late 1980s, ergonomic design began to be incorporated in new forklift models to improve operator comfort, reduce injuries, and increase productivity.

While this increases maneuverability in tight cornering situations, it differs from a driver's traditional experience with other wheeled vehicles.

A forklift must never negotiate a turn at speed with a raised load, where centrifugal and gravitational forces may combine to cause a tip-over accident.

A forklift should not be used as a personnel lift without the fitting of specific safety equipment, such as a "cherry picker" or "cage".

Driving forwards with a load carried lengthways allows long goods, typically timber, steel, concrete or plastics, to be moved through doorways and stored more easily than via conventional forklift trucks.

Similar to a reach truck, except the operator either rides in a cage welded to the fork carriage or walks alongside, dependent on design.

If the operator is riding in the order picking truck, they wear a specially-designed safety harness to prevent falls.

The mast is capable of rotating 90 degrees, and the forks can then advance like on a reach mechanism, to pick up full pallets.

Because the forklift does not have to turn, the aisles can be exceptionally narrow, and if wire guidance is fitted in the floor of the building the machine can almost work on its own.

[citation needed] Articulating counterbalance trucks are designed to be both able to offload trailers and place the load in narrow aisle racking.

Featuring tall masts, heavy counterweights, and special paint to resist seawater-induced corrosion, they are used to lift boats in and out of storage racks.

Omnidirectional technology (such as Mecanum wheels) can allow a forklift truck to move forward, diagonally and laterally, or in any direction on a surface.

In North America, some internal combustion-powered industrial vehicles carry Underwriters Laboratories ratings that are part of UL 558.

[citation needed] These are for operation in potentially explosive atmospheres found in chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, food and drink, logistics or other fields handling flammable material.

Commonly referred to as mainly Miretti or sometimes Pyroban trucks in Europe, they must meet the requirements of the ATEX 94/9/EC Directive if used in Zone 1, 2, 21 or 22 areas and be maintained accordingly.

[citation needed] In order to decrease work wages, reduce operational cost and improve productivity, automated forklifts have also been developed.

Batteries prevent the emission of harmful fumes and are recommended for indoor facilities, such as food-processing and healthcare sectors.

This method of propulsion produces no local emissions, can be refueled in three minutes, and is often used in refrigerated warehouses as its performance is not degraded by lower temperatures.

As mentioned in the preceding section, replacing or adding an attachment may reduce (down-rate) the safe lifting capacity of the forklift truck (See also General operations, below).

Forklift manufacturers make valves and hose routing accessories, but the parts and labor to install can be prohibitively expensive.

Other ways include adding a solenoid valve in conjunction with a hose or cable reel that diverts oil flow from an existing function.

[50] Health care providers recommend that workers who drive or use heavy equipment such as forklifts do not treat chronic or acute pain with opioids.

[53] In the United States, workplace forklift training is governed federally by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

[55] In the UK, the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations state that operators of forklift trucks must be adequately trained.

[56] Third-party organisations have also developed de facto 'best practice' standards for forklift training, commonly referred to in the UK as a 'forklift licence.'