Each and every year, a popular magazine that goes by the name of ‘Modern Materials Handling’ ranks the ‘Top 20 Global Forklift Manufacturers” in the world.

In order to be qualified for the ranking, companies are required to manufacture and supply forklifts in at least one of the seven different truck classes of the Industrial Truck Association (ITA). These classes include electric motor rider, internal combustion engine, electric and internal combustion engine tow tractors, electric motor hand trucks, pneumatic tire and rough terrain.

The rankings are awarded on the basis of worldwide revenues of the forklift manufacturers from their last financial year and are as follows:

1. Toyota Industries Corp.
2. Kion Group
3. Jungheinrich Lift Truck Corp.
4. Crown Equipment Corp.
5. NACCO Industries
6. Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift
7. Komatsu Utility Co.
8. Nissan Forklift Corp
9 TCM Corp.
10. Anhui Forklift Group
11. Nippon Yusoki Co.
12. Clark Material Handling
13. Doosan Infracore
14. Zhejiang Hangcha Engineering Machinery Co.
15. Hyundai Heavy Industries
16. Tailift
17. Combilift
18. Hubtex
19. Hytsu
20. Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing

There are not many forklift manufacturers that produce each and every model that exists in the market and therefore, it is essential to comprehend what model or type will be most appropriate to meet one’s needs and then look for manufacturers that have that particular model available at a dealership in your locality. One must start with a thorough and in depth assessment of the application and from there, they can begin to identify the areas of opportunity.

Selecting the right forklift brand and model is not always easy. Nowadays, there are so many various options available in the market and each lift-truck model has its own set of advantages and disadvantages in relation to a specific application. By making the wrong decision, one will have to pay a heavy price if they are left with an unproductive or incompetent piece of equipment.