For daily warehouse and logistics material handling operations, electric pallet trucks are widely deployed to transport palletized goods across flat indoor surfaces, and the selection of fork length directly impacts operation safety and actual use efficiency.

Most standard electric pallet trucks come with fork lengths ranging from 1100mm to 1220mm by default, which match the dimensional specifications of most standard commercial pallets across different regions. From the stability perspective, the standard length design keeps the load gravity center fully within the vehicle’s support wheel coverage during normal lifting and moving process, which creates a balanced load distribution without generating excessive outward torque on the vehicle body. Under regular working conditions, operators do not need extra adjustment on operation posture, and the vehicle can maintain steady status even when traveling on slight uneven ground or making low-speed turns, with low obvious tilting risk.

Extended fork designs are usually customized to meet special operation demands, such as transporting extra-long non-standard loads, conveying multiple pallets for one-time transportation, or adjusting to fit non-standard large pallet dimensions. The extended fork structure stretches the load bearing area far beyond the original support range of the vehicle, which shifts the overall combined gravity center of the truck and the carried goods to the forward direction significantly. If operators use full extended forks under full load status while driving at a high speed or making sharp turns, the extra outward torque will break the original balance structure of the vehicle, leading to potential forward tilting or load falling off risks. Even under static lifting status, overloaded goods on the extended end of forks may also cause the vehicle’s rear part to lift off the ground if the load weight exceeds the pre-set safe threshold.

No matter which fork length configuration is adopted, operators should carry out pre-operation check on the condition of forks, load wheels and braking system before starting each shift. For electric pallet trucks with extended fork design, users should strictly follow the rated load marking rules of the extended configuration, never carry loads beyond the specified maximum weight, and arrange the load weight as close to the truck body side as possible to reduce the outward torque. During traveling process, maintain a low and even speed, avoid sudden braking or sharp steering, and never lift the load to an excessive height that goes against the stability balance. The working site should also keep flat and free from obvious obstacles, slopes or potholes, to eliminate extra hidden risks that may impact the overall stability.