BITA members have reported more than 26,800 forklift orders, with sales of counterbalance trucks overtaking warehouse trucks for the first time post-recession, albeit by just 100 units.

Counterbalance truck sales increased by 13.6% to 13,450 units, prompted by renewed investment, particularly from the manufacturing and building supply sectors, as well as by forklift suppliers refreshing their own aging hire fleets.

Over the same period, the market for warehouse trucks increased by 7.7% to 13,350 units.

Sales of warehouse trucks had recovered much more quickly than counterbalance trucks in the immediate aftermath of the economic crash, largely due to the resilience of the UK's retail sector.

The overall recovery in lift truck orders in the UK over the past two and a half years has now brought order volumes back up to two-thirds of pre-recessionary levels, according to James Clark, secretary general of BITA.

"The lift truck market continues to outperform other sectors and recording a 10% increase in sales demonstrates that our sector is in very good shape," states Clark.

"The main impression is that the UK market continues to show the steady growth thast has been a consistent feature since the recessionary low point of December 2009," he adds.