01
Formula
Capacity = rated pounds × rated center ÷ actual center.
Centers are in inches from the fork face to the load's center of gravity. The forklift capacity calculator assumes the truck is level and the load is centered.
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Forklift capacity calculator at a load center
This forklift capacity calculator multiplies rated capacity by the rated load center and divides by the actual load center. The load capacity calculator is that reduced pound rating. It is a straight-line derate. The nameplate still controls the truck.
Capacity at this center
4,000lb
Rated capacity5,000 lb
Center ratio0.80
NameplateStill controls the truck
Planning estimate from the numbers you enter. Coverage, density, waste and price are assumptions, not a supplier quote or an engineering specification.
How it works
Capacity falls in proportion as the load center grows.
A 5,000 pound truck rated at a 24 inch load center, used at 30 inches, is rated 4,000 pounds at that center: 5,000 times 24 divided by 30. Attachments, lift height, and an off-center load can cut capacity further. This page does not have an attachment table. If the actual center is shorter than the rated center, the formula would raise the number. Do not lift more than the nameplate on the strength of that increase. The load capacity calculator here is the center derate only.
02
Example
5,000 pounds at 24 inches, used at 30 inches.
Capacity at 30 inches is 4,000 pounds. The ratio of the centers is 0.80. A 48 inch center on the same truck would be 2,500 pounds.
03
Tips
Measure the center on the load you actually pick.
A wide crate's center is not at 24 inches just because the nameplate says 24. The nameplate's 24 is the center the rating was tested at.
04
Equipment
The forklift is the machine.
Dengaro arranges financing for a forklift. The derated pounds are not a loan amount.
Important questions
Know what to expect.
Does a shorter center raise capacity?+
The formula would. Do not exceed the nameplate because of it. The load capacity calculator is a derate for a longer center, not a license to lift more.
Where do attachments go?+
They move the center and they have their own weight. Subtract the attachment and use the new center. This form has no attachment catalog.
Is this a floor loading?+
No. It is the truck's lift rating. Floor capacity is a different question.
What is a load center?+
The horizontal distance from the front face of the forks to the balance point of the load.
Financing built into the sale