Many changes are taking place in the forklift sector. Some manufacturers have merged. Others are bringing different technologies together under one roof to provide one-stop shopping for customers. Despite these changes, the leading forklift manufacturers list contains mostly the same players from the previous.
1. Toyota
This should come as no surprise to anyone. Toyota has been the leading forklift manufacturer for many years, and has produced over 700,000 forklifts for use world wide. The company shows no signs of losing their top ranking, and the Toyota Material Handling plant in Columbus, IN is the world’s largest forklift manufacturer, and top seller in the U.S. Known for their quality and reliability, Toyota offers electric trucks in a variety of models.
2. Heli
“Heli menghasilkan produk-produk yang lengkap. Heli sudah memiliki assembly line sendiri untuk produksi, dan memiliki konsistensi tinggi dalam menunjang fasilitas purna jualnya (after sales services),” ungkapnya sembari membandingkan brand-brand lain yang hanya merakit komponen-komponen dan suku cadang yang dipasok oleh vendor-vendor lain sehingga sering terjadi mismatch saat memesan suku cadang meski nomor serinya sesuai.
3. Jungheinrich Group
Based in Germany, Jungheinrich offers electric forklifts and lift trucks sold in North America by more than 400 dealers. Jungheinrich’s product line includes counterbalanced and lithium-ion trucks, with an emphasis on narrow-aisle lift trucks. This top forklift manufacturer also offers order pickers, turret and reach trucks, tow tractors, walkie stackers, and more.
4. Mitsubishi Logisnext
Mitsubishi Logisnext is the fourth largest forklift manufacturer, and does business as Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks. Maker of the justly famed Caterpillar forklift brand, Mitsubishi Logisnext formed as a result of the merger between Mitsubishi Nichiyu Forklift and UniCarriers Corp, it has manufacturing facilities in Illinois and Texas. Mitsubishi offers six brands of lift trucks: Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks, UniCarriers, Nichiyu Electric Forklift, CAT Lift Trucks, TCM, and Rocla.
5. Hyster-Yale Materials Handling (HYMP)
HYMP is the parent company of the Hyster and Yale forklift brands and consistently ranks among the leading global lift truck brands. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, it continues to explore ways to grow its business in Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and China. Beyond building forklifts, the company seeks to create solutions, enabling their customers to improve the efficiency of their worksites.
6. Crown Equipment
Crown Equipment is a privately held forklift manufacturer based in Ohio that specializes in electric trucks. Started in 1945, Crown is now the 5th largest manufacturer of powered forklifts worldwide. It offers a wide range of models, including counterbalance, very narrow aisle, and reach trucks. Crown also provides order pickers, stackers and tow trucks.
7. Anhui Heli Forklift
Based in China, the Anhui Heli forklift brand has led the Chinese market for nearly 30 years in a row, and is now the 7th largest forklift manufacturer in the world. Anhui Heli offers a mix of IC, electric, and lithium battery trucks, under the brand name HELI. It also offers empty container stackers, wheel loaders, tractors, forklift attachments, and more.
8. Komatsu
Komatsu is a Japanese multinational corporation using years of experience combined with the latest technologies to build their fleet of small-t-large powered forklift trucks. With 25 plants around the globe, the company’s forklift brand specializes in IC pneumatic, electric riders, IC cushion, and narrow aisle forklifts.
9. Hangcha Group
Hangcha has been manufacturing forklifts for nearly 50 years. It produces IC and electric forklifts, pallet trucks, pallet stackers, aerial platforms and rough terrain trucks. Hangcha is the first forklift manufacturer to develop an explosion-proof model for high gas and dust areas.
10. Clark Material Handling
Kentucky-based Clark built their first “Tructractor”, the first internal combustion industrial truck, in 1917. More than a century later, they offer five major lines, and have manufactured over 1 million trucks. This forklift manufacturer produces LPG, gasoline, dual fuel, diesel, electric riders, and powered hand trucks.
IT’S ALL ABOUT WORKSITE SAFETY
Among dozens of forklift manufacturers worldwide, those lifted above are the 10 best. So what exactly goes into the “best” forklift manufacturers? Plenty of factors, not least of which is safety. According to the U.S Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), accidents involving powered industrial trucks (just a fancy term for forklifts) once again ranked in the top 10 most common safety incidents. Since thousands of accidents happen every year, forklift manufacturers continue to evolve equipment design to account for both existing and evolving hazards.
Despite the best safety design upgrades and forklift safety features devised by the best forklift brands, there is one thing above all that helps prevent accidents and injuries on the job: a properly trained, OSHA-compliant lift operator.
At ForkliftCertification.com, our training modules help anyone learn about basic safety concepts, OSHA rules and regulations, proper operating techniques, and much more. Remember, OSHA mandates that forklift training is the responsibility of the employer.
