8427.20.40.00 - Rider-type, counterbalanced fork-lift trucks 🖩

This HTS category, 8427.20.40.00, specifically covers rider-type, counterbalanced fork-lift trucks. These are self-propelled industrial trucks where the operator typically rides on a platform or in a cab. The defining characteristic is the counterbalanced design, meaning a weight is integrated into the truck's structure to offset the load carried by the forks, allowing for stability without the need for outriggers. Examples include standard sit-down or stand-up counterbalanced fork-lift trucks commonly used in warehouses and distribution centers for loading, unloading, and stacking goods.

This classification is distinct from its sibling category, 8427.20.80 ("Other"), which encompasses other types of self-propelled trucks fitted with lifting or handling equipment but which do not meet the specific criteria of rider-type, counterbalanced fork-lift trucks. This could include, for example, order pickers, reach trucks, or pallet trucks that operate differently or have different design features. The key differentiator for 8427.20.40.00 is the combination of rider operation and the counterbalanced chassis.

As this is a leaf node in the HTS classification system, there are no further subcategories within 8427.20.40.00. Therefore, classification under this code relies on meeting the precise description of a rider-type, counterbalanced fork-lift truck. Any truck that does not have an integrated counterweight or where the operator does not ride on the vehicle would be classified elsewhere.