Why "3 tonne" does not mean what buyers think it means
Every forklift nameplate shows a rated load at a stated load center — for example, 3,000 kg @ 500 mm on the Granvolt EP30. That load center matters as much as the tonnage: it is the horizontal distance from the front face of the forks to the center of gravity of the load. Move the load center further out, by carrying a longer or oddly shaped pallet, and the truck’s actual safe capacity falls below the nameplate figure. Buyers who compare trucks on tonnage alone and ignore load center routinely end up with a machine that cannot safely carry their heaviest real pallet.
Lift height compounds the same problem in a different way. As the mast extends, the truck’s center of gravity rises and its stability triangle narrows, so most manufacturers also derate capacity at maximum lift height. A truck rated 3,000 kg at 500 mm load center and 3,000 mm lift height may carry noticeably less at its maximum 6,000 mm lift height — ask for the capacity chart at both heights, not just the headline figure.
Work the problem in this order
Four steps, worked in sequence, settle most capacity questions before you ever compare brands:
- Find your heaviest realistic pallet. Not your average pallet — the heaviest one that will actually cross the dock. Capacity planning on an average load is the single most common sizing mistake we see in RFQs.
- Measure its load center. For a standard square pallet, load center is usually close to half the pallet depth. Irregular loads — long pipe, coiled material, asymmetric crates — push the load center out further than the pallet footprint suggests.
- Set your maximum lift height. Measure to the top beam of your highest rack level, not the warehouse ceiling. Confirm the capacity at that height, not only at the standard lift height quoted on the spec sheet.
- Add attachment weight, if any. A side shifter or clamp subtracts from residual capacity before the pallet is even on the forks — see our attachment selection guide for how to read a combined capacity chart.
Reading a forklift load chart
A proper load chart is a table, not a single number: rated load for each combination of load center and lift height the truck is certified for. If a supplier quotes only one figure without showing the chart behind it, ask for it — the full chart is what your safety officer and insurer will want on file. The Granvolt EP30 specification page documents rated load at the standard 500 mm load center and 3,000 mm lift height; confirm the derated figures for your specific lift height and load center in your RFQ.
| Input you need | Where it comes from | Why it changes the truck you buy |
|---|---|---|
| Heaviest pallet weight | Scale ticket or product spec sheet, not an estimate | Sets the minimum rated load at your load center |
| Load center | Measured from pallet depth or longest dimension of irregular loads | A deeper load center can drop usable capacity by several hundred kilograms |
| Maximum lift height | Top beam of highest rack level | Capacity derates as lift height increases; confirm the chart at your actual height |
| Aisle width | Measured clearance between racking | Determines whether a counterbalance truck fits or a narrow-aisle stacker is required |
Matching capacity to Granvolt’s product lines
Across the EP Series, rated loads run from the EP18 at 1,800 kg @ 500 mm up to the EP30 flagship at 3,000 kg @ 500 mm, covering food & beverage and clean indoor warehousing through heavy-duty three-shift logistics. For narrow-aisle and mezzanine work where a counterbalance truck’s turning circle will not fit, the ST20 straddle stacker reaches up to 5,300 mm at 2,000 kg. Where pallet weights exceed electric counterbalance range, the DF Series runs 3,000–5,000 kg on diesel power. Our Applications pages work through full scenario-based selection if you want to start from your working environment rather than a tonnage figure.
Common sizing mistakes we see in RFQs
Three mistakes account for most of the capacity complaints that reach a supplier after delivery. The first is sizing to the average pallet instead of the heaviest one, which looks efficient on paper until the one heavy batch per month damages the mast or trips an overload cutout. The second is ignoring load center on irregular loads — a buyer who specs a truck against a square pallet, then runs long pipe or awkward crates through the same fleet, is running outside the certified chart without realizing it. The third is skipping the attachment weight: a side shifter or clamp reduces the capacity available for the actual payload, and that reduction has to be checked against the combined chart, not the bare truck rating.
Oversizing has its own cost. A heavier truck than the job needs burns more energy per cycle, costs more to purchase, and in electric fleets often means a larger and more expensive battery pack than the duty cycle justifies. The goal is not the biggest truck available — it is the smallest truck that is certified for your actual heaviest pallet, at your actual load center, at your actual maximum lift height.
Frequently asked questions
Does forklift capacity rating include the weight of attachments?
No. The nameplate rating is for the bare truck. Any attachment — side shifter, clamp or fork extension — reduces the residual capacity available for the payload. Always request the combined truck-plus-attachment capacity chart before ordering.
What happens if I exceed the rated load at my load center?
The truck can tip forward or lose steering traction at the rear wheels, and doing so routinely voids the manufacturer warranty and can violate workplace safety regulations such as OSHA 1910.178 in the US. Treat the capacity chart as a hard limit, not a guideline.
Should I buy for my average load or my heaviest load?
Your heaviest realistic load. Average-load sizing is the most common mistake in capacity planning — the fleet still has to handle the heaviest pallet when it shows up, and a truck that cannot do so safely is the wrong truck regardless of how well it handles every lighter load.