The counterbalanced forklift is a lift truck which uses a counter balance which is attached to the rear end of the machinery. This counterbalance effectively balances loads which are placed on the forks at the front end of the machinery. This design is engineered to stabilize traditional forklifts. As far as electric counterbalance forklifts are concerned, the battery itself forms the counterweight.

Counterbalance lift trucks could usually be found in every manufacturer's product range. They are typically manufactured in a range of sizes and configurations, using a variety of fuel sources. These forklifts can with solid or pneumatic tires. They could operate in diverse applications. These lift trucks are outfitted with a variety of accessories. Common attachments and options comprise: side shifts, hydraulic clamps, fork shifts and slip sheet attachments just to name a few.

Counterbalance lift trucks have revolutionized the material handling industry. They have become the cornerstone of distribution and storage systems where they perform stacking, loading, unloading and horizontal transport functions. The average warehouse lift trucks are usually utilized for lift heights less than 20 feet or 6 meters. There have been some models recently designed that could lift to heights 9.5 meters or 31 feet. The smaller 1-1.8 ton or 4000 lbs. forklifts are the main workhorses inside most warehouses. These are the most common units that the majority of small companies will have. The typical warehouse counterbalance forklift is a wide-aisle truck that requires approximately 11 feet or 3 meters to turn in.

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

Because of their durability and versatility, counterbalance forklifts are commonplace in a large range of working environments, like production, retail and warehousing. Several of the industrial applications consist of: automotive, timber, food and chemical industries.