Material handling equipment (MHE) is mechanical equipment used for the movement, storage, control, and protection of materials, goods and products throughout the process of manufacturing, distribution, consumption, and disposal. The different types of equipment can be classified into four major categories: transport equipment, positioning equipment, unit load formation equipment, and storage equipment. This article focuses on Transport equipment

Transport equipment is used to move material from one location to another (e.g., between workplaces, between a loading dock and a storage area, etc.), while positioning equipment is used to manipulate material at a single location. The major subcategories of transport equipment are conveyors, cranes, and industrial trucks. Material can also be transported manually using no equipment.

Industrial trucks are trucks that are not licensed to travel on public roads (commercial trucks are licensed to travel on public roads). Industrial trucks are used to move materials over variable paths and when there is insufficient (or intermittent) flow volume such that the use of a conveyor cannot be justified. They provide more flexibility in movement than conveyors and cranes because there are no restrictions on the area covered, and they provide vertical movement if the truck has lifting capabilities. Different types of industrial trucks can be characterized by whether or not they have forks for handling pallets, provide powered or require manual lifting and travel capabilities, allow the operator to ride on the truck or require that the operator walk with the truck during travel, provide load stacking capability, and whether or not they can operate in narrow aisles.

Powered industrial trucks, such as forklifts, are used to move large materials or large quantities of materials around the manufacturing floor. They are also utilized to efficiently load (or unload) heavy objects onto delivery trucks. Industrial trucks are very useful when there is insufficient flow volume to justify the implementation of a conveyor system. Examples of industrial trucks include:

· Hand trucks– Also known as a dolly, or box cart. Hand trucks are l-shaped box-moving handcarts with handles at one end, wheels at the base, and a ledge to set objects on.

· Pallet jacks– These are tools are the most basic form of a forklift and used to lift and move pallets within a warehouse.

· Pallet trucks– Manual operated or powered industrial forklifts.

· Walkie stackers– A pedestrian walk-behind stacker with a mast for lifting pallets to heights.

· Platform trucks– These are similar to a two wheeled dolly, but with an extended deck.

·Sideloader– Automated tool similar to a fork lift that loads and unloads from the side of the machine rather than the front.

· Automatic guided vehicles