Lifting America One Forklift at a Time: The Economic Impact of the Industrial Trucking

In just a century, industrial truck manufacturing has become a top-ranked sector driving the American economy. Industrial trucks are amongst the top five industries driving the American economy with promising job growth. The industry is more than just tow tractors and pallet jacks moving wood or large metal equipment in a warehouse. Forklift manufacturers are key in making sure that all equipment and materials are delivered safely and intact to their destination. Many Americans do not realize how much of an integral part that industrial trucks and distributors play in handling many household items from the warehouse to their front doorsteps. Aside from delivery services, forklift manufacturing can be involved in supply chains, residual marketing, and sales.

Impact on American Economy

How impactful is the forklift industry?

  • The industry’s economic distribution has grossed approximately 25.7 billion dollars since 2015 and continues to exceed economic goals every year
  • The industry contributes the equivalent GDP of a small country to America’s economy
  • The workforce has a greater share of veterans, 10%, compared to any other industry
  • More than half a million people drive forklifts every day, and over 200,000 are employed in the forklift industry

KION North America

KION North America is very fortunate and thankful to be a part of an industry that provides so much service to Americans all across this continent. We have been able to be a part of an industry that not only aligns with our values but employs them in their everyday practice. These values include integrity, collaboration, courage, and excellence. In recent years, we have been ranked as one of the top industrial lift truck suppliers and continue to rank amongst top competitors. In 2017, KION Group invested close to 6 million dollars into different community partnerships while adding 50 more jobs to our local branch in Summerville, South Carolina. One of our recent projects includes the launch of full-line equipment that we feel will help KION excel in North America even more. The launch includes eight Linde brand warehouse vehicles that will focus on improving and enhancing the energy efficiency, motor automation, and digitization of our current products. We are ecstatic to see where this industry will be in another 100 years.

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