Forklift Trucks

Caterpillar is one of the largest manufacturers of materials handling products in the world. Whether electric, I/C engine or warehouse, Cat® Lift Trucks has an economic materials handling solution to meet any of today's materials handling challenges.

The story begins in 1933, when a man named Lester M. Sears decided it might be a good idea to adapt a farm tractor for industrial use. His ‘Model L’‚ the first "cantilever" forklift and "sit-on" counterbalanced forklift, hydraulic lifting mechanism and equipped with an internal combustion engine may look a bit funny now, but it was packed with new ideas - and it totally transformed materials handling forever.

Lester M. Sears his first fork lift truck featured innovations that have become standard in the lift truck industry, including under-the-load front wheel drive, rear-wheel steering, hydraulic lifting and tilting and equal high-speed forward and reverse gears.

A brief history…

In 1965 Caterpillar acquired the company Lester M. Sears started - Towmotor – and formed Cat Lift Trucks. In 1992 Caterpillar formed a joint venture with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Ltd. to combine technological, financial and marketing strengths in the production of materials handling equipment from the corporate headquarters in Almere, the Netherlands.

And they are just getting started…

Today, Caterpillar forklifts and warehouse equipment are among the best-built trucks in the business. Caterpillar offers a broad range including diesel, petrol, LPG, electric counter-balanced forklifts, as well as a complete range of warehouse equipment.