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

Counterbalance forklifts can usually be found in every manufacturer's product range. They are normally manufactured in a variety of configurations and sizes, using a range of fuel sources. These lift trucks could with solid or pneumatic tires, and be designed with 3 or 4 wheels. They could operate in diverse applications. These forklifts are equipped with a variety of accessories. Common attachments and options include: slip sheet attachments, fork shifts, side shifts and hydraulic clamps just to name a few.

The counterbalance forklift has in fact changed the whole industry of material handling. These machinery are vital to the shipping and receiving centers all over the world because they are used for loading, stacking, horizontal transport functions and unloading. The standard warehouse lift trucks are usually used for lift heights under 20 feet or 6 meters. There have been some recently designed units that are capable of lifting to heights 9.5 meters or 31 feet. The smaller 4000 pound or 1-1.8 ton forklifts are the main workhorses in the majority of warehouses. These are the most popular units that most small businesses would have. The average warehouse counterbalance forklift is a wide-aisle truck that needs approximately 11 feet or 3 meters to turn in.

Counterbalance forklifts are not necessarily confined to the warehouse. They are often utilized for container carrying and heavy use together with pretty much every application in between. Counterbalance forklifts are the most widely utilized and versatile of all materials handling machinery.

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