The UK fork lift truck market rose to 31,700 annual unit orders in the second quarter of 2007 – approaching the peak demand of 32,000 trucks last reached in early 2005, according to figures from the British Industrial Truck Association.
However, said BITA, the growth had come in specific product areas rather than across all truck types.
In the first quarter of 2007, the market for powered pallet trucks was up 18.6 per cent compared with the same period last year, and in the second quarter was 15 per cent up on the previous year.
BITA said this reflected a shift from manual to powered horizontal pallet movement within a wide range of firms, including the UK’s major retailers.
Engine counterbalance trucks grew 9.3 per cent in quarter one and 6.7 per cent in quarter two.
Although quarter one saw a decline in orders for electric counterbalance trucks, reach trucks and low level order pickers, these moved back into growth in quarter two.
