Industrial trucks: technology, use & selection

Industrial truck (Flurförderzeug) is the umbrella term standardised in accordance with DIN ISO 5053 for ground-based, non-rail-guided conveying equipment. This includes forklifts of all designs, high-lift pallet trucks, reach trucks, pedestrian pallet trucks, rough-terrain forklifts and telehandlers. Colloquially, „industrial truck“ and „forklift“ are often used synonymously – technically correct, the forklift is a subgroup. This guide explains the individual designs, the legal framework in accordance with DGUV Vorschrift 68 and the selection criteria that really make the difference in practice. It is aimed at dispatchers, site managers and buyers preparing a procurement or rental decision.

The Luibl rental fleet covers all relevant designs, from the electric pedestrian pallet truck to the heavy-duty telehandler Manitou MHT 10200 with 20 t load capacity. We rent out classic forklifts in diesel, electric and LPG versions up to 16 t load capacity. Delivery takes place with our own low-loader fleet from over 200 in-house and network locations in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary and further European countries.

Not in the programme: automated guided vehicle systems (AGVs). Although these are also technically assigned to DGUV Vorschrift 68, they are not among the operator-guided industrial trucks and are not part of our rental-fleet portfolio.

Counterbalance forklift By far the most common design. The counterweight at the rear balances the fork load. Universally usable, from the 1.5-tonne warehouse vehicle to the 16-tonne heavy-duty forklift.

Distinction by drive: Electric forklifts are suitable for indoor areas, food logistics, pharma, cold stores and everywhere that exhaust fumes or noise must be excluded. Modern lithium-ion machines now achieve single-shift use without a battery change. A weakness remains outdoor use in wet and cold: if machines stand outside in continuous frost, the battery service life is noticeably shortened.

Diesel forklifts are the robust choice for outdoor use, construction sites and heavy loads. All current Luibl rental machines meet the EU Stage V emissions standard. In enclosed halls, diesel machines are ruled out – the employers' liability insurance association's workplace limit values cannot be met without elaborate ventilation.

LPG forklifts are the classic compromise: lower in emissions than diesel, more powerful than electric, and permissible in well-ventilated halls. In practice they are ordered less often than in the past, because electric has caught up technically.

Reach trucks The lifting mast can be pushed in between the wheel arms. This eliminates the large counterweight, the machine becomes more compact and drives in narrower aisles. Typical use: high-bay warehouses with aisle widths under 3 m and rack heights up to 13 m. Available exclusively as an electric version.

Pedestrian pallet trucks and high-lift pallet trucks Low-lift pedestrian pallet trucks transport pallets close to the ground, typical for order-picking and goods receipt. The operator walks alongside or rides on a step platform. High-lift pallet trucks are pedestrian-controlled machines with a lifting mast up to several metres – an intermediate solution between a pure transport device and a counterbalance forklift. Sensible in operations that regularly store on two to three rack levels but do not justify the volume for a full-fledged forklift.

Rough-terrain forklifts Robust design with off-road tyres, increased ground clearance, often all-wheel drive. Mandatory as soon as the place of use is unpaved – construction sites, timber yards, building-material stores, agriculture. A normal counterbalance forklift with solid-rubber tyres fails on soft ground and gets stuck; this is a common reason for expensive emergency re-orders.

Telehandlers (telescopic loaders) Combine the forklift with an extendable telescopic arm. Reach significantly greater lifting heights and outreaches than conventional forklifts. By changing attachments (fork, bucket, work basket, rope winch, concrete skip), on the construction site they often replace three individual machines.

• Rigid telehandlers: fixed superstructure axle, classic construction-machine profile, lifting heights up to about 20 m.
• Rotating telehandlers (Roto): 360°-slewing superstructure. Luibl carries Magni RTH and Manitou MRT – lifting heights up to 39 m, at Luibl usable with an attachment change as a lifting platform (basket) or crane (rope winch).
• Heavy-duty telehandlers: Manitou MHT 10200, 20 t load capacity – used for industrial installations, heavy-machinery relocation, wind energy.

Heavy-duty forklifts An own category from about 8 t load capacity. Typical uses at Luibl customers: metal construction (coils, girders, sheet-metal packages), container handling, tool and mould transport in the automotive industry. Forklifts up to 16 t are regularly dispatched from the Passau rental fleet.

The honest rule of thumb from rental-fleet dispatching: under 1,200 operating hours per year, renting almost always works out better. In between – 1,200 to 1,800 hours – it is a trade-off that depends on the interest rate level, maintenance costs and flexibility requirements. From about 1,800 operating hours per year, the forklift effectively runs in two-shift operation and buying becomes economical.

What is often overlooked here: the operating-hours calculation only applies if the requirement profile remains stable over the holding period. If the hall layout, product mix or racking technology changes regularly, renting remains the clean solution – even with high utilisation. A purchased forklift that no longer fits is a millstone; a rental machine is exchanged for another next Tuesday.

Telehandlers with a rope-winch basket replace a mobile crane on many construction sites. This works reliably when:

• Lifting loads are below the nominal load capacity of the telehandler – and specifically at the desired outreach, not at the nominal value. The load chart of the telescope falls off steeply with increasing outreach.
• the construction site has a load-bearing standing area (telescope supported on outriggers or on wheels with a level base).
• the lifting frequency is low to medium. For series lifting, the mobile crane is nevertheless faster.

Not sensible: lifting near the load-capacity limit, lifting over obstacles with large lateral outreach, and generally lifting work with persons – that is then a mobile elevating work platform again, not a crane task. For 80% of construction-site lifts, a Roto telescope is sufficient. The remaining 20% should be honestly calculated with a mobile-crane company, not with an overloaded telescope.

What is the difference between a forklift and an industrial truck?

Industrial truck is the umbrella term in accordance with DIN ISO 5053. Forklifts – precisely: fork-lift trucks – are the best-known but not the only subgroup.

What training does the driver need?

Training in accordance with DGUV Grundsatz 308-001 (forklift licence), a written driving order from the entrepreneur, annual instruction. Luibl offers the training for all equipment types carried in the rental fleet.

How often must a forklift be inspected?

In accordance with BetrSichV, at least once a year by a competent person. With Luibl rental equipment, the UVV inspection is part of the rental scope.

What does it cost to rent a forklift?

Long-term rental of a standard forklift €30–80/day, short-term rental €10–25/h. The exact calculation depends on the design, load capacity, rental duration and location.

Is a work basket on the forklift permitted?

Only for short-term, occasional work, with a firmly connected, approved attachment. For regular work at height, a mobile elevating work platform is mandatory.

Does Luibl deliver at weekends?

Yes, with its own low-loader fleet. Collection on Friday, return on Monday at the daily rental rate is possible depending on the location – enquire directly with dispatching.

Which countries does Luibl deliver to?

Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary and further European countries from over 200 locations.