Counterbalance lift trucks are basically forklifts which are engineered with counterweight at the rear of the equipment. The counterweight works to balance the weight that the blades are carrying at the front of the cargo. This design is engineered to stabilize conventional lift trucks. When it comes to electric counterbalance lift trucks, the battery itself forms the counterweight.

Nearly every lift truck producer would have in their product range, a counterbalance lift truck. These equipment will come in a huge assortment of fuel sources, configurations, and sizes. These forklifts can with pneumatic or solid tires, and be designed with 4 or 3 wheels. They are capable of working in diverse applications. These lift trucks are outfitted with a variety of accessories. Common attachments and options comprise: slip sheet attachments, fork shifts, side shifts and hydraulic clamps just to mention some items.

Counterbalance lift trucks have changed the material handling business. They have become the cornerstone of distribution and storage systems where they perform stacking, loading, unloading and horizontal transport functions. The standard warehouse forklifts are typically used for lift heights less than 6 meters or 20 feet. There have been some units recently developed which 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 inside most warehouses. These are the most common models that the majority of small businesses would have. The standard warehouse counterbalance forklift is a wide-aisle truck that requires approximately 11 feet or 3 meters to turn in.

Counterbalance forklifts are not necessarily limited to the warehouse. They are often used for carrying containers and heavy use together with pretty much every use in between. Counterbalance lift trucks are the most widely used and versatile of all materials handling equipment.

The counterbalanced lift truck is common in many working environments, such as warehousing, production and retail. This is due to their versatility and durability. Some of the industrial use consist of: automotive, timber, chemical and food businesses.