Forklift Load Capacity and Load Centre Calculator

A forklift is rated for one load centre, usually 500 mm or 24 in. Carry the same weight further out and the truck loses capacity, because what the counterweight balances is the moment, not the weight. Enter your own figures below.

The truck

The capacity printed on the data plate, at the rated load centre.

European data plates usually say 500 mm. North American plates usually say 24 in, which is 610 mm.

The load

Half the load length for an evenly loaded pallet, measured from the front face of the forks. An unevenly packed load has its centre of gravity further out than half.

Optional. Enter it and the result tells you whether the load is inside the derated capacity.

Attachment (leave at zero for plain forks)

Weight of a clamp, rotator, fork positioner or similar. It comes straight off the capacity.

How far forward the attachment pushes the load: its own thickness plus any stand-off. The attachment maker publishes this figure.

Capacity at your load centre

2,083 kg (4,593 lb)

Your load is inside the derated capacity, with 283 kg (625 lb) to spare.

Rated capacity (plate)
2,500 kg (5,512 lb)
Effective load centre
600 mm (23.6 in)
Before the attachment is deducted
2,083 kg (4,593 lb)
Capacity lost
16.7%

This is an estimate from the load-moment method, not a rating. The figure that governs what the truck may lift is the capacity data plate for that exact truck, mast and attachment. OSHA requires that plate to be legible and to be amended by the manufacturer before an attachment is used. OSHA 1910.178(a)(4)-(a)(6)

These figures are estimates. They are produced from the numbers you enter, not from quoted prices, and they are not a guarantee of real-world cost. Use them to compare options, then confirm with your supplier.

Assumptions used in this calculation
  • The load-moment method assumes the truck is otherwise within its limits: mast vertical, load at travel height, level ground, tyres and mast as rated.
  • Capacity also falls with lift height on most trucks. That reduction is not calculable from the data plate alone - it comes from the capacity chart for that mast.
  • Attachment weight is subtracted in full and the lost load centre is added to the load centre, which is the conservative reading.

How this is calculated

Total cost of ownership is the sum of every cost over the period, less what the machine is worth at the end:

  • Total hours = annual hours x years.
  • Energy = price x consumption x total hours.
  • Maintenance and operator = hourly rate x total hours.
  • Battery is charged pro rata: replacement cost x (years / component life), so a 5-year ownership of a 10-year component is charged half.
  • Total = purchase + energy + maintenance + battery + operator + other - residual value.

Apply this to real machines

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