10K Forklift Load Test and Military Standards

10K Forklifts

• Heavy weight forklifts carry loads of up to 10,000 pounds if proper counterweights are used. Standard 10K forklifts are designed for smooth surfaces like tarmacs and concrete floors. They are commonly used to move aircraft parts and military vehicles. Adverse terrain forklifts are designed to operate on rough ground. 10K adverse terrain (AT) forklifts are used on rough terrains like rocky desert. Military units use 10K adverse terrain forklifts to move supplies in combat zones and to build air strips. According to "Preparation of Freight for Airlift Transportation", "when lifting the 463L pallet, the 10K forklift must have tines of 72 inches long for balancing purposes." While 10K forklifts can carry heavy weight, they are not designed to travel long distances.

Forklift Testing

• Forklifts must be load tested upon receipt. Load testing is then performed every twelve months. Loads within five percent of the maximum load are placed on the forklift forks or tines. The forklift is checked for slippage after ten minutes under load. A maximum vertical slip of three inches and one inch horizontally is allowed. If the equipment has not been tested within thirty days of the one year anniversary to verify it can still handle its maximum load, it is down-rated to 75% of its original capacity. For 10K adverse terrain forklifts, failure to perform load testing within a month of the one year anniversary results in a downgrade to 7,500 pounds. After sixty days, the forklift is rated to half its original rating. At this point, 10K AT forklifts are down-rated to 5,000 pounds. Ninety days after the one year anniversary, the forklift is taken out of service.

10K Forklift Military Standards

• MIL-PRF-83812B is the standard for 10,000 and 13,000 pound capacity adverse terrain forklifts and trucks. MIL-PRF-83830A is the military standard for 25,000 pound capacity forklift trucks. 25K forklifts can be used when 10K forklifts are not available. "The CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide" states "it is current U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) policy to convert military specifications to private-sector standards or federal specifications as when used in non-military construction."

Industry Standards

• The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) B56 committee issues standards on powered industrial trucks. ASME has adopted the Industrial Truck Standards Development Foundation (ITSDF) standards for forklifts. ASME B56.1 part 11 applies to industrial trucks like forklifts. ASME B56.1 is passed on to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) International. Tests like load testing must be performed by an approved laboratory or certified tester before the name plate is given an identifying mark as meeting ANSI standards.