When a forklift is carrying a load, it stays balanced with the help of a cantilever system set up on a fulcrum, which is the front wheel axle. The cantilever system is like a simple teeter-totter, which also works with the help of a fulcrum.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says that a well-balanced forklift is very stable and can carry a lot of weight. The fulcrum, also called the pivot point, is where the weight of the machine and the weight of the load meet.
Forklift America says that most forklifts have data plates that show how much they can lift. When figuring out how much a load weighs, the most important thing to remember is that everything that is lifted has a centre of gravity, just like the forklift and the load together have a centre of gravity. This is why it is important for a forklift driver to keep the load in the triangular area between the front wheels, or fulcrum, and the rear steering axle. The forklift stays steady because the load is placed in this way. If the load is too far from the front axle, the forklift is likely to tip forward. If the load is too far to the left or right, the forklift is likely to tip sideways.
