What Size Forklift Do You Need? The 4 Numbers That Decide It (With OSHA Rules and Real Prices)

Size a forklift by four numbers, in this order: the weight of the heaviest load you will lift, where that weight sits on the forks (the load center), the highest beam and lowest door the mast has to clear, and the weight of the truck itself on your floor. For a 48 in deep pallet under 5,000 lb in a warehouse with racking under 15 ft, the answer on Warehouse Gear Hub is a 5,000 lb class truck: the EKKO EK25GT-Li lithium electric at $34,579.05 or the EK25TLP propane at $31,919.05, both rated at a 24 in load center with a 185 in lift. Loads under 3,500 lb and racking under 11 ft drop you to the EK16A-138 at $22,799.05. Loads over 5,000 lb step you up through the 6,000, 7,000, 8,000 and 8,500 lb classes to the 10,000 lb EK50LP at $59,849.05. The four questions below work through each number with OSHA's rule quoted from 29 CFR 1910.178, OSHA's own load center math, and every spec from EKKO's published sheets.

What does OSHA require when you size a forklift?

One sentence makes the data plate the law. 29 CFR 1910.178(o)(2) reads: "Only loads within the rated capacity of the truck shall be handled." Paragraph (a)(6) adds that "the user shall see that all nameplates and markings are in place and are maintained in a legible condition," and paragraph (a)(4) states that "modifications and additions which affect capacity and safe operation shall not be performed by the customer or user" without the manufacturer's prior written approval, with the capacity plate updated to match. Paragraph (q)(6) closes the shortcut people reach for first: "Additional counterweighting of fork trucks shall not be done unless approved by the truck manufacturer."

What goes on that plate is spelled out in OSHA's powered industrial truck eTool: the truck model and serial number, the truck weight, the designation of compliance with ASME B56.1, the type designation, and the capacity. The same page states that "capacity assumes the center of gravity of the load is at the load center shown on the label," that "if there is a special attachment, it must be listed on the nameplate," and that "the addition of an attachment generally lowers the capacity of a forklift."

So the four numbers you size by are the four numbers the plate carries: rated capacity, the load center that capacity is measured at, the lift height, and the truck weight. Buy the truck whose plate covers your heaviest, longest, highest load with margin, because the plate is what the compliance officer reads and what 1910.178(o)(2) holds you to.

Question 1: What does your heaviest load weigh?

Weigh the heaviest pallet you receive in a year, not the average one. Add the pallet, the wrap, and anything that rides on top. That number, with the load center from Question 2 applied, is the rated capacity you need, and it sets the class. EKKO builds the ladder below in 500 to 1,500 lb steps, and the price steps are smaller than most buyers expect: the move from the 5,000 lb EK25GT-Li to the 6,000 lb EK30GT-Li is $1,330.00, and at 5,000 lb the propane EK25TLP is $2,660.00 less than the lithium EK25GT-Li. The jump from the 3,500 lb EK16A-138 to the 4,000 lb EK20GT-Li is $9,120.00, because it also buys a 185 in mast, a lithium battery, and solid pneumatic tires.

Two rungs sit outside the table. The 7,000 lb EK35GT-Li lithium is $39,899.05 with the same 185 in mast and an 86.2 in lowered height, and the ladder tops out at the 10,000 lb EK50LP propane at $59,849.05 with a 185 in lift and a Kubota Tier 4 engine; its product page does not list a load center or service weight, so ask us for the sheet before you size to it. Every rating in the table is at the stated load center with the mast vertical. OSHA's eTool is blunt about what happens past it: "exceeding the capacity of a forklift presents serious hazards, including tipover." If the heaviest load is long, top heavy, wet, or goes up high on an attachment, buy the next class up.

5,000 lb class, lithium electric

EKKO EK25GT-Li 4-Wheel Lithium-Powered Forklift, 5,000 lb, 185 in Lift

5,000 lb at a 24 in load center, 185 in lift with 43.7 in free lift, 83 in lowered mast, 8,344 lb service weight, 45.2 in wide with an 88.9 in outside turning radius, 80V/205Ah lithium battery, Cascade side shift and Shimadzu 4-way valve pre-plumbed, solid pneumatic tires, 3-year limited warranty.

$34,579.05 View specs →

Question 2: Where does the weight sit on the forks?

The capacity number on the plate is only true at one point. OSHA's load composition page states that the rated capacity "only applies to the load center indicated on the data plate," that the standard load center is "commonly 24 inches," and that it assumes a cube-shaped load with its center of gravity in the middle, sitting on a 48 by 48 in pallet. Push the center of gravity farther out and the plate no longer applies: if a load is "not centered at the specified position, the forklift's capacity will be reduced."

OSHA gives the field estimate on the same page. Divide the rated load center by the actual load center, then multiply by the rated capacity. A 5,000 lb truck rated at 24 in, carrying a load centered at 28 in, is good for about 24 / 28 x 5,000 = 4,285 lb. A 4,000 lb truck at 24 in carrying a 36 in load center is good for "only 2,666 pounds." The page also works it as load moment, weight times distance from the fulcrum: a 3,000 lb rating at 24 in is 72,000 inch-pounds, so a load centered at 30 in is capped at 72,000 / 30 = 2,400 lb. OSHA calls the method a guideline and points you to the manufacturer for the precise figure, which is the chart to ask EKKO for before you carry anything longer than the forks.

The load center also changes how you read two trucks with the same capacity number. EKKO's brochure rates the EK16A-138 at 3,500 lb at a 19.7 in load center (our product page rounds it to 20 in), while the EK16A-189Li, the EK20GT-Li, and every 185 in truck in the table are rated at 24 in. Run OSHA's method on the EK16A-138 at a 24 in load center and you get roughly 19.7 / 24 x 3,500 = 2,870 lb. That is the right number to compare against a 4,000 lb at 24 in EK20GT-Li, and it is why the capacity column in the table carries the load center next to every rating.

Attachments move the same math the other way. 1910.178(a)(5) requires a truck with front-end attachments other than factory-installed ones to be marked with the approximate weight of the truck and attachment combination and its capacity at maximum elevation with the load laterally centered. OSHA's August 15, 2013 letter cites the B56.1 nameplate warning on the attachment itself, which ends "consult truck nameplate," because the truck-and-attachment combination rates lower than the attachment alone. A side shift is factory installed on every 185 in EKKO in the table; a clamp, rotator, or drum handler is not, and it needs its own plate line.

3,500 lb class, compact 3-wheel

EKKO EK16A-138 3-Wheel Electric Forklift, 3,500 lb, 138 in Lift

3,500 lb at a 19.7 in load center, 138 in lift with 34.4 in free lift, 86.6 in lowered mast, 5,020 lb service weight, 42.1 in wide with a 58.9 in turning radius, cushion tires for smooth indoor floors, 24V/320Ah battery and charger included, side shift, hydraulic power steering.

$22,799.05 View specs →

Question 3: How high must the forks go, and how low must the mast sit?

Two heights. Buyers check the first and forget the second. Lift height is the maximum fork height. Measure the top beam of your highest rack level, add the height of the pallet and load sitting on the forks, and add the clearance you need to lift the pallet off the beam. That total is the lift height you buy, and it is a floor, not a target. The EK16A-138 lifts 138 in (11.5 ft). Every other truck in the table lifts 185 in (15.4 ft), and the EK16A-216Li and EK18AT-216Li 3-wheel lithium trucks lift 216 in (18 ft) at 3,500 and 4,000 lb.

Lowered mast height is the number that keeps the truck out of the door frame and the trailer. Measure your lowest door, the underside of any mezzanine, and the inside height of the trailers you load. EKKO lists the mast lowered at 83 in on the EK20GT-Li, EK25GT-Li, EK25T-Li and EK25TLP, 86.2 in on the EK30GT-Li, EK35GT-Li and EK40TLP, 86.6 in on the EK16A-138, and 89 in on the EK40T-Li. The overhead guard is a separate height on the full sheet, so ask for it when a trailer or a low door is in play.

Free lift is the third height, and it decides whether the truck can stack inside a trailer or under that mezzanine at all. It is how far the forks rise before the mast itself starts to extend. The 185 in masts on the 4,000 and 5,000 lb trucks give 43.7 in of free lift; the 6,000, 7,000 and 8,500 lb trucks give 37.9 in; the EK16A-138 gives 34.4 in. Inside a box with an 83 in mast under a low ceiling, those inches are the difference between stacking two high and not.

6,000 lb class, the margin step

EKKO EK30GT-Li 4-Wheel Lithium-Powered Forklift, 6,000 lb, 185 in Lift

6,000 lb at a 24 in load center, 185 in lift with 37.9 in free lift, 86.2 in lowered mast, 9,788 lb service weight, 48.2 in wide with a 96.2 in outside turning radius, 80V/230Ah lithium battery, Cascade side shift and Shimadzu 4-way valve pre-plumbed, solid pneumatic tires, 3-year limited warranty.

$35,909.05 View specs →

Question 4: Can your floor, dock, and trailer carry the truck?

The fourth number on the plate is the truck weight, and it is the one that gets checked after the truck arrives. OSHA's eTool lists it as required nameplate information for a reason: the load on your floor is the truck plus whatever is on the forks, and when the forks are loaded most of it rides on the front axle. On EKKO's sheets the service weight runs from 5,020 lb on the EK16A-138, through 7,594 lb on the EK20GT-Li, 8,344 lb on the EK25GT-Li, 8,465 lb on the EK25TLP, 9,788 lb on the EK30GT-Li and 10,648 lb on the EK35GT-Li, to 11,519 lb on the EK40TLP and 11,800 lb on the EK40T-Li per EKKO's brochure. An EK40TLP carrying its full 8,500 lb puts 20,019 lb on the floor. Check that figure, not the capacity figure, against the rating of every mezzanine, dock leveler, dock plate, and trailer floor the truck will cross.

Tires are the floor question in the other direction. The EK16A-138 rides on cushion tires, which EKKO recommends for indoor use on flat surfaces. Every 185 in truck in the table rides on solid pneumatic tires, which EKKO's EK40TLP page describes as built for concrete, asphalt, and uneven outdoor surfaces with no flat risk. If the truck crosses a yard or a gravel lot, that is the tire. Fuel is the last split, and it is its own decision: the propane EK25TLP and EK40TLP meet Tier 4 EPA and CARB 4 per their product pages, and our electric vs propane forklift guide covers the indoor air, charging, and cost rules that decide between them.

8,500 lb class, propane, indoor and yard

EKKO EK40TLP Pneumatic Propane Forklift, 8,500 lb, 185 in Lift

8,500 lb at a 24 in load center, 185 in lift with 37.9 in free lift, 86.2 in lowered mast, 11,519 lb service weight, 52.9 in wide, PSI 2.4L LPG engine at 63 HP, Tier 4 EPA and CARB 4, solid pneumatic 250-15 front tires, Cascade side shift, full suspension cab, 3-year structural warranty.

$43,889.05 View specs →

Which forklift should you buy?

Match your four numbers to the line that describes them.

• Heaviest load under 2,800 lb at 24 in, racking under 11 ft, smooth indoor floor, tight aisles: EKKO EK16A-138 ($22,799.05). 3,500 lb at 19.7 in, which OSHA's method puts at roughly 2,870 lb at 24 in, 138 in lift, cushion tires, 58.9 in turning radius.
• Under 4,000 lb at 24 in, racking to 15 ft, electric: EKKO EK20GT-Li ($31,919.05). 185 in lift, 83 in lowered mast, 7,594 lb service weight.
• Under 5,000 lb at 24 in, racking to 15 ft, lowest price: EKKO EK25TLP propane ($31,919.05). Same 185 in mast and 83 in lowered height, 8,465 lb service weight.
• Under 5,000 lb at 24 in, electric, no exhaust indoors: EKKO EK25GT-Li ($34,579.05) or, with a 78.7 in turning radius per EKKO's brochure, the EK25T-Li ($33,249.05).
• Loads that run long, wet, or top heavy at the 5,000 lb line: EKKO EK30GT-Li ($35,909.05). 6,000 lb at 24 in for $1,330.00 over the EK25GT-Li.
• 7,000 to 8,500 lb at 24 in: EKKO EK35GT-Li ($39,899.05), EK40T-Li ($43,889.05), or EK40TLP propane ($43,889.05). Check the 11,519 to 11,800 lb service weight against every dock plate first.
• 10,000 lb at 24 in: EKKO EK50LP propane ($59,849.05). Ask for the sheet; the product page lists capacity and lift height only.
• Light loads and low racking: a walkie stacker is the cheaper path. Our straddle vs counterbalanced stacker guide covers that decision.

Every truck above is in the forklifts collection, split into electric and propane, and we are an authorized EKKO dealer. We price match, and we quote volume and B2B orders. If your heaviest load lands between two lines, call 1-800-794-1049, 8 AM to 4 PM Central, with the load weight, its depth on the forks, your top beam height, and your lowest door. We will size it in one call and send a written quote.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much can a 5,000 lb forklift actually lift?

5,000 lb when the load's center of gravity sits at the load center on the plate, which on the EKKO EK25GT-Li and EK25TLP is 24 in. Move the center of gravity out and the number drops. OSHA's load composition page gives the estimate: a 5,000 lb truck rated at 24 in carrying a load centered at 28 in is good for about 4,285 lb. An attachment lowers it further, and the manufacturer's derate chart is the figure that governs.

What does a 24 inch load center mean?

It is the distance from the vertical face of the forks to the load's center of gravity that the capacity is measured at. OSHA's eTool describes the standard as "commonly 24 inches," which assumes a cube-shaped load with its weight in the middle on a 48 by 48 in pallet. A load that runs 48 in deep along the forks sits at 24 in. A 48 by 40 in pallet picked up so that the 40 in side runs along the forks sits at 20 in, and a 60 in deep crate sits at 30 in, which is where the derating starts.

What size forklift do I need for a standard pallet?

The class whose rating at 24 in exceeds your heaviest loaded pallet. For loaded pallets under 5,000 lb that is the EKKO EK25GT-Li ($34,579.05) or EK25TLP ($31,919.05). Under 4,000 lb, the EK20GT-Li ($31,919.05). Under about 2,800 lb at 24 in, the EK16A-138 ($22,799.05), remembering its 3,500 lb rating is at 19.7 in. Weigh the heaviest pallet of the year, not the typical one.

How tall a forklift do I need?

Buy lift height from the top beam of your highest rack level plus the pallet and load height plus clearance to lift it off the beam. Buy lowered mast height from your lowest door, mezzanine, and trailer ceiling. On the EKKO trucks we stock, lift height is 138 in on the EK16A-138, 185 in on the 4-wheel trucks, and 216 in on the EK16A-216Li and EK18AT-216Li; lowered mast height runs 83 to 89 in.

How much does a forklift weigh?

On EKKO's sheets, 5,020 lb for the 3,500 lb EK16A-138, 7,594 lb for the 4,000 lb EK20GT-Li, 8,344 lb for the 5,000 lb EK25GT-Li, 8,465 lb for the 5,000 lb EK25TLP, 9,788 lb for the 6,000 lb EK30GT-Li, 10,648 lb for the 7,000 lb EK35GT-Li, 11,519 lb for the 8,500 lb EK40TLP, and 11,800 lb for the 8,000 lb EK40T-Li per EKKO's brochure. Add the load to get the number your floor sees.

How much does a new forklift cost?

On Warehouse Gear Hub as of this writing, $22,799.05 for the 3,500 lb EKKO EK16A-138, $31,919.05 for the 4,000 lb EK20GT-Li or the 5,000 lb EK25TLP propane, $34,579.05 for the 5,000 lb EK25GT-Li lithium, $35,909.05 for the 6,000 lb EK30GT-Li, $39,899.05 for the 7,000 lb EK35GT-Li, $43,889.05 for the 8,000 lb EK40T-Li or 8,500 lb EK40TLP, and $59,849.05 for the 10,000 lb EK50LP. Freight is quoted by address.