The mast, lifting mechanism and forks of the side loader forklift are located in the middle of the forklift and can move along the transverse guide rails. The fork is located on the side of the forklift, and there is also a cargo platform on the side. When the fork rises along the mast to be greater than the height of the cargo platform, the mast retracts along the guide rail, lowers the fork, and the goods are placed on the cargo platform of the forklift. The mast and forks of the side forklift are on the side of the car body. The car body enters the channel, and the fork faces the shelf or stack, so there is no need to turn before loading and unloading.

There are two main characteristics of side forklift operation:

1.During the process of entering and exiting the warehouse, the car body enters the passage, and the forks face the shelves or stacks. When loading and unloading, there is no need to turn first and then work. This feature makes the side forklift suitable for narrow aisle operations;

2.It is beneficial to the special strip-shaped long-size goods, because the long-size goods are parallel to the car body and are not limited by the width of the channel. Pneumatic tires are generally used for outdoor work, and solid tires are generally used for indoor work. The side forklift can carry long goods at a faster speed, with a maximum lifting capacity of 12 tons, a maximum lifting height of 3 meters, and a maximum speed of 30 km/h.