Forklift glossary

The technical terms found on a data sheet and in an offer, explained without jargon.

Rated capacity

Maximum load the truck can lift for a given load centre and height, according to the manufacturer's plate.

Load centre

Horizontal distance between the front face of the forks and the load's centre of gravity; usually 500 mm.

Lift height

Vertical distance the forks rise from the floor to their highest position.

Free lift

Height the forks rise without the mast's overall height increasing.

Lowered mast height

Overall truck height with the mast lowered; decides whether it fits through doors and containers.

Outer turning radius

Radius of the circle described by the truck's outer wheel at full lock.

Right-angle aisle width

Minimum aisle needed to stack a pallet with the truck at a right angle to the rack.

Service weight

Weight of the truck ready to work, with fluids and battery, without load.

Counterweight

Rear mass that balances the load lifted by the forks.

Reach truck

Warehouse truck whose mast moves forward to place the pallet, suited to narrow aisles.

Stacker

Machine that lifts pallets to a moderate height, with a walk-behind or platform operator.

Pallet truck

Machine for moving pallets at floor level, manual or electric.

Side-shifter

Attachment that moves the forks left and right without moving the truck.

Opportunity charging

Partial battery recharge during breaks, common with lithium batteries.

Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4)

Lithium battery chemistry used in forklifts, fast charging with no electrolyte maintenance.

LPG

Liquefied petroleum gas, fuel for dual-fuel forklifts with gasoline.

Incoterm

International commercial term that splits costs, risks and delivery between seller and buyer, such as FOB, CIF or DAP.

CE marking

Indication that the machine meets the applicable EU rules, accompanied by the declaration of conformity.

Backhoe loader

Wheeled machine with a front loading bucket and a rear digging arm.

Mini excavator

Compact tracked excavator, typically up to around 6 tonnes, for tight spaces.

Operating weight

Weight of the excavator in working order, with operator, fluids and standard equipment; it determines transport and machine class.

Digging force

Maximum force the bucket or arm cylinder can exert at the bucket tip; measured in kilonewtons (kN).

Tail swing radius

Distance from the slew axis to the rearmost point of the tail as the machine rotates; a short tail lets you work next to walls.

ROPS, TOPS and FOGS

Operator protective structures: against rollover (ROPS), tip-over (TOPS) and falling objects (FOGS).

Ground pressure

Machine weight spread over the track contact area; the lower it is, the less it sinks into soft ground.

Quick coupler

System that lets you change bucket or attachment at the arm tip in minutes.

Gradeability

Maximum slope the machine can climb safely, in degrees.