With rapidly accelerating developments in technology and seemingly no let-up in the emergence of ever more complex supply chain challenges, the modern logistics professional has a lot to consider before deciding on the materials handling equipment that best suits their company’s intralogistics needs.

So, to mark the start of the countdown to IMHX 2025 (September 9th -11th 2025, NEC, Birmingham) – the next event in the long-running and highly successful series of evens for supply chain and logistics professionals – a White Paper taking an in-depth look at the ongoing evolution of the forklift truck has been unveiled.

Produced by Informa Markets with input from the UK Materials Handling Association (UKMHA) and UK Warehousing Association (UKWA) ‘What is the forklift of the future?’ explores the technical advances that are shaping lift truck design and considers the future developments that will impact upon forklift productivity, safety and running costs.

With contributions from senior executives from some of the leading manufacturers and suppliers of industrial trucks, the White Paper gives a balanced overview of the trend away from fossil fuels towards greater take-up of electric trucks and reflects on the role that driverless forklifts might play in the continued success of businesses operating in the UK logistics sector.

Rob Fisher, director of IMHX 2025, commented: “The forklift truck has been an industry icon for over three quarters of a century and remains an essential piece of kit for most, if not all, logistics operations.

“Today’s lift trucks are almost unrecognisable from the somewhat agricultural machines that were first produced in significant numbers in the 1940s and with emerging power sources and rapidly advancing technology driving renewed confidence in automation, the forklift of the future is likely to look very different to the machines that are working in present day warehouses, factories and retail sites.

“Giving clear information, ‘What is the forklift of the future?’ highlights the essential developments that anyone tasked with specifying forklift truck technology should consider.”