Industrial handling vehicles are widely used in ports, railway stations, airports, freight yards, factory workshops, warehouses, and distribution centers. They perform loading, unloading, and transport operations for palletized goods within ship holds, vehicle compartments, and containers, serving as essential equipment for pallet and container transport. Forklifts play a pivotal role in corporate logistics systems and are the mainstay of material handling equipment, finding extensive application across various sectors of the national economy, including transport hubs, ports, airports, factories, and warehouses. Forklift technology advanced significantly during World War II, and China began manufacturing them in the early 1950s. Driven by China's rapid economic growth, most enterprises have moved away from primitive manual handling, adopting mechanized handling centered on forklifts instead. Consequently, demand in the Chinese forklift market has grown at a double-digit annual rate in recent years.
The market offers a vast array of forklift brands and complex model variations; given the highly technical and specialized nature of the products, enterprises often face challenges regarding model and supplier selection. This article focuses on aspects such as model selection, brand choice, performance evaluation criteria, and the contribution of Chinese forklifts to overseas markets. Article 38 of the *Regulations on Safety Supervision of Special Equipment* stipulates: "Personnel operating or managing special equipment-including boilers, pressure vessels, elevators, lifting machinery, passenger ropeways, large-scale amusement facilities, and specialized motor vehicles for use within factory premises-must pass examinations administered by the special equipment safety supervision and administration department in accordance with relevant state regulations. They must obtain a certificate for special equipment operators in the nationally standardized format before engaging in the corresponding operations or management work." Item No. 249 in the catalogue attached to the *Decision of the State Council on Establishing Administrative Licenses for Administrative Approval Items Retained* (State Council Decree No. 412) covers the qualification accreditation of entities and personnel involved in the design, installation, use, and inspection of pressure pipelines.
