It was another “up” year for the North American forklift industry, as all five truck classes—electric rider trucks (Class 1 and Class 2), motorized hand trucks (Class 3) and internal combustion-powered trucks (Class 4 and Class 5)—saw growth in 2018, according to Scott Johnson, chairman of the Industrial Truck Association as well as VP of marketing and sales for Clark Material Handling Co. That marks the fourth year in a row that sales have reached an all-time high, with the 260,180 total units sold in 2018 topping the previous benchmark of 253,146 units set in 2017.
According to the ITA’s data, electric and internal combustion truck sales grew at a rate of 2.8% and 2.7%, respectively. Overall, electric products accounted for nearly two-thirds (64%) of the market.
“The forklift market contributes more than $25 billion annually to the U.S. GDP,” Johnson points out, “and for every direct job in the industry, an additional 2.5 jobs are supported elsewhere in the economy.”
In honor of National Forklift Safety Day on June 11, we again present our annual ranking of the 10 largest global manufacturers of forklifts, ranked by revenue. These suppliers provide some of the leading material handling technologies and vehicles used worldwide by companies to manage their warehouses and distribution centers, and many of them are at the forefront of developing and promoting the latest in forklift safety technologies. All financial figures are stated in U.S. dollars, based on the relevant exchange rate as of December 31, 2018. The information was provided by the companies, unless otherwise noted.
