The majority of forklifts and lift trucks are available with many common security features, such as seat belts on sit-down vehicles. Stand-up vehicles would usually have dead-man petals. In addition, some manufacturers are providing extra features like for example speed controls that are able to reduce the overall speed based on steering angle and load height. For more info, there are many available articles about Lift Truck Safety and Loading Dock Safety.
Service and Support
A big part of forklift selection is to make sure that you maintain access to high levels of service and support. Each year, there seems to be a wider array of new players in the forklift business. Although they offer a nice price and a decent forklift design, if they do not provide the regional or local service and support infrastructure, you should be ready for major aggravation when the forklift breaks. Each and every lift truck model goes down sooner or later and parts, service and general questions should be answered at some point.
You will generally want to have a nearby repair shop or dealer with a full supply of the components you need for your specific unit. Be sure to visit the dealership or the repair shop and check their parts room so as to try to understand how many parts they stock. Make sure to inquire that if they do not have the component you require, where would it come from? Hopefully, the answer will be from a regional or local distribution facility.
Additionally, try to get some ideas as to how many of those particular models are presently being used within your vicinity. This is really vital for specialty trucks including turret trucks. If there are only a small amount of trucks being used in their service area that you must assume they may not be stocking many if any parts for them. Furthermore, they can have very little overall experience in servicing that specific model too.