Lift trucks and pallets go together like soup and sandwich: you don't think of one without the other.

Sometimes, however, the factory-issue fork and mast aren't enough to get the most productivity out of the equipment.

That's where lift truck attachments come into play. With the right attachment, lift truck drivers can move more loads than with standard forks, and they can handle product that can't otherwise be moved with a lift truck.

"Lift truck attachments improve efficiencies and eliminate waste," says Mike Kern, a vice president of marketing and sales for Cascade Corporation (800-227-2233, www.cascorp.com).

Whether it's implementing a slip sheet program or bulk loading product in a trailer, pallet-less handling is a driver for the attachment industry today.

"The return on investment for a $10,000 carton clamp is usually less than 18 months if you can eliminate pallets," says Ronnie Keene, vice president of sales, Brudi Bolzoni Auramo (800-358-5438, www.bba-usa.com).

Simply eliminating pallets isn't the only savings associated with today's attachments. Clamping devices equipped with onboard sensors and computer controls determine the right amount of pressure to handle a load, reducing product damage, according to Kip Tygard, product manager, Tygard Machine & Manufacturing (724-746-4500, www.tygardclaw.com).

Finally, devices like automatic side shifters and fork positioners also reduce injuries to drivers, says Larry McCart, vice president of the Long Reach division of Allied Systems (503-625-2560, www.alliedsystems.com).

But a word of caution: lift truck attachments do weigh more than traditional forks, which may necessitate a larger capacity truck. What's more, the added hydraulics to operate the attachment may result in higher maintenance costs.

Here are the most common attachments used today.

Pallet handling devices that allow a driver to handle two or more loads simultaneously have been popular in Europe, where over-the-road trucks are loaded from the side, for years. They are now catching on in the U.S., especially in the food and beverage industries, both of which transport a heavy volume of pallets. These devices feature carriages that can handle up to three loads wide and two pallets deep. Other models use two sets of forks that can automatically retract to handle just one load in a narrow aisle or to travel through a narrow doorway.

Fork positioners automatically adjust the position of forks to handle a wide variety of pallet sizes without the driver ever having to leave the seat. That not only saves time, it also reduces the chance of back strains or pinched fingers from manually handling heavy forks. Many fork positioners also include sideshifting capabilities.

Clamping units are used for handling a wide variety of loads that can't be handled with pallets. The paper industry, for instance, relies on paper roll clamps that can move loads weighing more than 26,000 pounds, as well as bale clamps that handle pulp, cotton, wool, or recycled materials like aluminum and paper. Carton clamps are popular in the wine industry to move unit loads without pallets or slip sheets. Other clamping devices have been modified with thin arms for loading appliances in trailers and container ships.

Push/pull units are used to ship, receive and warehouse unit loads on slip sheets rather than pallets. Once product is unitized on a fiber or plastic slip sheet, the attachment clamps on the lip of the slip sheet, and pulls the load onto a 15- to 18-inch wide platen for transportation. The attachment the pushes the load off the platen for putaway in the warehouse or when the slip sheet is loaded into a truck for shipment.

The side shifter is the most popular lift truck attachment on the market today. The device adds a third direction of movement to a lift truck, allowing the forks to move 45 degrees to the right or left as well as up or down. Drivers can reposition a load or align a vertical stack without backing up to reposition the whole truck. Side shifters are available as single units as well as double units that enable drivers to handle two pallets of product. While side shifters are usually added to the mast, some masts are now being designed with integral side shifting units.

Layer picking devices are one of the newest innovations in the lift attachment industry. These devices allow an operator to pick fifty cases or five layers of a 12-ounce beverage at one time, moving up to 2,000 cases an hour. They are especially popular with food, beverage and consumer packaged good companies that build multi-layer, mixed pallet loads for club and discount stores.

Bin dumpers are used in the food processing and automotive industries for handling small parts. With them, an operator can transport a bin or a container of parts to the manufacturing line, then tilt it forward to empty the contents into a hopper or other line side storage device. Other devices, like a load turner, use revolving forks that clamp and turn a load.