Table of Contents
- Industrial truck: the family a forklift belongs to
- English names for forklift types
- OSHA classification: Class I to Class VII
- A person lift is not a forklift
- Forklift components in English
- Specifications and operating terms
- American and British English: what to call things, what certificate you need
- HS codes when importing forklifts
- How to write a forklift quotation request in English
- Frequently asked questions
- Contact ICD Vietnam
- References
Reviewed and updated by ICD - Week 43/2026
In English a forklift is simply a forklift, or more fully a forklift truck. The standard ISO 5053-1:2020 calls the whole family of machines industrial trucks, US safety law calls them powered industrial trucks, and the UK and Europe often say lift truck or FLT. A low-lift hand truck is a hand pallet truck (known in the US as a pallet jack), and a lift that raises people is a MEWP or AWP, which is technically not a forklift.
Names differ between countries, and an order, drawing or contract that names the wrong type of truck leads to a wrong quotation. This guide groups the terms the way warehouse and import-export staff use them: the truck family, the name of each type in the US and UK, components, nameplate specifications, HS codes, and a few sample sentences for writing a quotation request in English. Definitions come from ISO, OSHA, HSE and IPAF, with full sources at the end.
Industrial truck: the family a forklift belongs to
ISO 5053-1:2020 (the current edition, reviewed and confirmed in 2026) defines an industrial truck as a vehicle with at least three wheels, with or without a drive motor (excluding rail vehicles), used to carry, tow, push, lift, stack or rack any kind of load, controlled by a rider or by an automated guidance system. A forklift is the branch with forks and a lifting mast; a low-lift hand pallet truck also belongs to this family even though it has no motor.
US law uses the phrase powered industrial truck for vehicles driven by an electric or internal combustion engine. OSHA section 1910.178 states that its scope covers fork trucks, tractors, platform lift trucks, motorized hand trucks and special-purpose industrial trucks. OSHA does not apply the provision to compressed-air vehicles, farm vehicles, or vehicles used mainly for earth moving and over-the-road hauling, which is why excavators and dump trucks are not forklifts even when they can be fitted with forks.
English names for forklift types
| Description | Standard English name | Other names |
|---|---|---|
| Manual truck that lifts a pallet just off the floor | Hand pallet truck | Pallet jack (US); pallet truck, pump truck (UK) |
| Manual truck that lifts a pallet to height | Manual stacker, hand stacker | High-lift stacker |
| Electric truck, operator walks behind | Walkie stacker, pedestrian stacker | Electric stacker |
| Electric low-lift truck | Electric pallet truck | Powered pallet truck, walkie pallet truck |
| Counterbalanced truck, operator seated | Counterbalance forklift, counterbalanced truck | Sit-down rider forklift |
| Electric truck with extending forks for racking | Reach truck | Stand-up reach truck |
| Order picking at height with the operator lifted | Order picker | Order picking truck |
| Diesel engine truck | Diesel forklift | ICE forklift (internal combustion engine) |
| Gas-powered truck | LPG forklift | Propane forklift (US) |
| Truck for rough ground and building sites | Rough terrain forklift | Telehandler (the boom-equipped type) |
The two groups most often confused are the low-lift hand truck and the stacker. UK sales sources state plainly that pallet truck, pump truck, hand pallet truck and pallet jack are the same machine, while an electric truck of the same shape is called a powered or electric pallet truck. A stacker lifts higher than a pallet truck but has no large counterweight and cab like a forklift; UK suppliers classify it between the pallet truck and the forklift. In a quotation, state the capacity and the lift height as well rather than writing only “stacker”.
OSHA classification: Class I to Class VII
In US documents you will meet truck classes, and knowing the class tells you at once the power source, wheel type and steering method. The list below comes from OSHA’s eTool on Powered Industrial Trucks; OSHA notes that these are the commonly seen classes and do not cover every truck under 1910.178.
| Class | OSHA wording | Plain meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Class I | Electric motor rider trucks | Electric truck with seated or standing rider, including electric counterbalanced trucks |
| Class II | Electric motor narrow aisle trucks | Electric narrow-aisle trucks, such as reach trucks and order pickers |
| Class III | Electric motor hand trucks or hand/rider trucks | Electric walk-behind or stand-on platform trucks, such as electric pallet trucks |
| Class IV | Internal combustion engine trucks (solid/cushion tires) | Internal combustion trucks with solid tires, used indoors |
| Class V | Internal combustion engine trucks (pneumatic tires) | Internal combustion trucks with pneumatic tires, used outdoors |
| Class VI | Electric and internal combustion engine tractors | Tow tractors |
| Class VII | Rough terrain forklift trucks | Forklifts for rough terrain and building sites |
A person lift is not a forklift
The question of what to call a person lift in English has two answers depending on the region. The older US term is aerial work platform (AWP). Today ISO 18893:2024 and IPAF use the name mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) for equipment that carries people and tools to a working position at height; IPAF states that MEWP is the official name for AWP. Two common types are the scissor lift (a mobile vertical machine in IPAF’s grouping) and the boom lift (the mobile boom group).
This matters for paperwork: person lifts fall under their own standards (ISO 18893, and ANSI A92 in the US) and their own training courses, separate from forklift training. On import, both sit under HS heading 8427 but are declared according to the actual goods description; see the HS code section below.
Forklift components in English
| Part | English term | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lifting arms | Forks | The part that lifts the pallet directly |
| Lifting column | Mast | The sliding column that raises and lowers the forks |
| Fork holder | Carriage | Metal plate that carries the pair of forks |
| Load stop at the back | Load backrest | Stops the load sliding toward the operator; mentioned in OSHA 1910.178 |
| Roof guard above the operator | Overhead guard | Required on seated high-lift trucks under OSHA |
| Rear weight | Counterweight | Cast iron block at the rear for balance |
| Operator compartment | Operator’s cab, operator’s seat | Where the operator sits and controls the truck |
| Steering | Steering wheel | The steering control |
| Wheels | Tires | Solid (cushion) tires and pneumatic tires |
| Power storage | Battery | Energy source of electric trucks |
| Power unit | Engine | Used on diesel and gas trucks |
| Mast tilt cylinder | Tilt cylinder | Tilts the mast forward and backward |
| Pump of a hand truck | Hydraulic pump unit | The pump unit of a hand pallet truck |
Solid tires are durable and puncture-proof and suit flat indoor floors; pneumatic tires absorb shock better and suit rough or outdoor surfaces. OSHA separates the two as Class IV and Class V above, which is why the pair “cushion tire” and “pneumatic tire” appears so often in US documents.
Specifications and operating terms
Lifting capacity is rated capacity (or load capacity), lift height is lift height, the load centre is load center, and the turning circle is turning radius. Maintenance is maintenance, spare parts are spare parts or forklift parts, renting is forklift rental (US) or forklift hire (UK), and pallet stays pallet.
Load center is the most overlooked specification: the capacity on the nameplate is valid only when the centre of the load sits at the standard distance from the front face of the fork carriage. A longer load pushes the load centre outward and the real lifting capacity drops, so when ordering, state both the capacity and the load centre in one sentence, for example “2,500 kg at 500 mm load center”.
American and British English: what to call things, what certificate you need
| Concept | American English | British and European English |
|---|---|---|
| Counterbalanced forklift | Forklift, lift truck | Counterbalance truck, FLT, fork truck |
| Low-lift hand pallet truck | Pallet jack | Pallet truck, pump truck |
| Operator | Forklift operator | FLT operator |
| Operator training | OSHA 1910.178(l): the employer must train, evaluate and certify the operator, with re-evaluation at least every 3 years | There is no statutory forklift licence; the HSE Approved Code of Practice L117 requires basic, job-specific and familiarization training |
| Training accreditation body | No mandatory body | RTITB, ITSSAR and AITT are commonly used |
| Design and safety standards | OSHA 1910.178 (referencing ANSI B56.1) | ISO 3691 for safety, ISO 5053-1 for vocabulary |
The training row is the one most often mistranslated as “forklift driving licence”. According to HSE, the employer must make sure everyone using work equipment has been adequately trained under PUWER; for rider-operated trucks, the Approved Code of Practice L117 (published 2013) requires completion of basic training and testing before operation, including occasional operation. Training can be run in-house if the trainer is competent. Bodies such as RTITB, ITSSAR or AITT are simply the places that issue market-recognized cards.
HS codes when importing forklifts
| HS code | HS heading description | Typically covers |
|---|---|---|
| 8427.10 | Self-propelled trucks powered by an electric motor | Electric forklifts, reach trucks, walkie electric trucks |
| 8427.20 | Other self-propelled trucks | Diesel and LPG gas forklifts |
| 8427.90 | Other trucks | Trucks that are not self-propelled, such as hand pallet trucks |
| 8431.20 | Parts of machinery of heading 8427 | Forklift parts |
The WCO Explanatory Note to heading 84.27 states that the heading covers fork-lift trucks and works trucks fitted with lifting or handling equipment, excluding cranes (heading 84.26), and that parts fall under heading 84.31. The US tariff also splits out a sub-group for aerial work platforms within lines 8427.10, 8427.20 and 8427.90, showing that person lifts also sit under 84.27. Duty rates and import conditions change over time and by truck type, so check the current Vietnamese tariff schedule and ICD Vietnam’s guide to forklift import procedures before declaring.
How to write a forklift quotation request in English
A request line with enough information includes the truck type, power source, capacity, load centre, lift height, fork dimensions and environment. If any of these is missing, the supplier will have to ask again or quote a different truck from the one you need.
Electric reach truck, 1,500 kg at 600 mm load center, lift height 6 m, for a narrow-aisle warehouse.
ICD Vietnam distributes Xilin (Ningbo Ruyi) forklifts with a 12-month warranty, and also offers repair, rental and installment support. An example of a low-lift hand pallet truck is the ICD BF-III 2.5-tonne hand pallet truck (it lifts a pallet to 200 mm). The forklifts currently on sale are listed in the Xilin ICD forklift category. A glossary for hand pallet trucks alone is in the article what a hand pallet truck is called in English.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a forklift and a stacker?
Forklift usually means a counterbalanced, seated-operator truck that lifts goods onto high racks. A stacker is a smaller truck with no cab, where the operator walks behind or stands on a small platform; it lifts a pallet higher than a pallet truck but lower than a counterbalanced truck.
How do the names differ between the low-lift and high-lift hand trucks?
The low-lift hand truck is a hand pallet truck or pallet jack, lifting a pallet just clear of the floor to move it. The high-lift hand truck is a manual stacker, lifting the pallet to a greater height, so the load center and lift height on the nameplate need attention.
What is load center and why does it matter?
Load center is the distance from the front face of the fork carriage to the centre of gravity of the load. The rated capacity on the nameplate is valid only at the truck’s standard load center; a longer load pushes the load center outward and cuts real capacity, which can tip the truck over.
Is a person lift a forklift?
No. A person lift is a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP), formerly called an aerial work platform (AWP), and includes scissor lifts and boom lifts. They follow ISO 18893 and ANSI A92, separate from the standards and training for forklifts.
Do you need a forklift driving licence in the UK?
There is no statutory forklift driving licence. The employer must ensure the operator is adequately trained under PUWER and, for rider-operated trucks, under the HSE Approved Code of Practice L117. Cards from RTITB, ITSSAR or AITT are recognized by the market but are not a legal condition.
Contact ICD Vietnam
ICD Vietnam Industrial Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - distributor of Xilin forklifts, with repair, rental and installment support.
Hotline: 0983 797 186 / 090 345 9186
Email: sales@icdvietnam.com.vn | Zalo: Chat Zalo
References
- ISO 5053-1:2020, Industrial trucks - Vocabulary - Part 1: Types of industrial trucks (definition of industrial truck; ISO 18893:2024 and ISO 3691 are cited by name) - iso.org
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.178 Powered industrial trucks (scope, operator training paragraph (l)); and OSHA eTool Powered Industrial Trucks, Forklift Classifications (Class I-VII) - osha.gov
- HSE (UK), Rider-operated lift trucks: Operator training and safe use, L117 (2013), and Training and competence (PUWER regulation 9) - hse.gov.uk
- IPAF, United States - MEWP Regulations and Standards and IPAF Categories (MEWP is the official name of AWP; scissor lift, boom lift) - ipaf.org
- WCO, Explanatory Note to heading 84.27 Fork-lift trucks; other works trucks fitted with lifting or handling equipment (2022 edition) - customnews.pk
- WTO Trade Remedies Data Portal, AD698 CN (HS 8427.10, 8427.20, 8431.20) - trade-remedies.wto.org
- KC Supply, How to Use a Pallet Truck (UK names pallet truck, pump truck, pallet jack) - kcsupply.co.uk
- Material Handling Industry (MHI), Glossary - mhi.org
