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

Counterbalance lift trucks can often be found in every manufacturer's product range. They are typically manufactured in a range of sizes and configurations, utilizing a variety of fuel sources. These lift trucks can be designed with 4 or 3 wheels, or be fitted. They are capable of working in diverse applications. These types of lift trucks are equipped with different kinds of accessories. Common options and attachments comprise: fork shifts, slip sheet attachments, hydraulic clamps and side shifts just to mention a few.

The counterbalance lift truck has in fact changed the whole business of material handling. These machinery are essential to the shipping and receiving centers all over the world as they are used for loading, stacking, horizontal transport functions and unloading. The standard warehouse lift trucks are typically used for lift heights less than 20 feet or 6 meters. There have been some recently designed units 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 common units that the majority of small businesses would own. The standard warehouse counterbalance forklift is really a wide-aisle truck which needs around 11 feet or 3 meters to turn in.

Counterbalance forklifts are not necessarily limited to the warehouse. They are usually utilized for heavy use and carrying containers along with basically every use in between. Counterbalance forklifts are the most versatile and widely used of all materials handling machines.

The counterbalanced lift truck is common in numerous working environments, like production, retail and warehousing. This is because of their durability and versatility. Several of the industrial applications comprise: chemical, food, timber and automotive businesses.