Fork Identification Sheet — UK Construction Telehandlers & Forklifts

Pallet forks look interchangeable until you try to fit one to the wrong carriage. Forks are classified by carriage class, hook width, tine pitch and tine dimensions — and a Class III fork will not hang on a Class II carriage. This guide is the UK construction trade identification sheet covering every common fork pattern, dimension table and ITA carriage class used on telehandlers, wheel loaders and counter-balance forklifts.

How to identify a fork

There are four numbers you need before ordering a replacement fork:

Carriage class — ITA Class I, II, III, IV or V (sets the carriage bar height the fork hooks onto).
Tine length — measured from the front face of the heel to the tip, in millimetres or inches.
Tine width and thickness — usually expressed as width × thickness, e.g. 100 × 40 mm.
Hook style — pin-type hook, ITA-class shaft hook, or proprietary manufacturer pattern (Manitou, Merlo, JCB Q-fit etc.).

Fork Identification Sheets — full diagrams

The 10-page identification sheet below covers ITA Class I to V forks and the common UK construction fork patterns. Each page includes the carriage dimensions, tine reference and matching attachment.

Fork identification sheet page 1 — ITA carriage class summary and overall dimensions — Page 1 — ITA carriage class summary and overall dimensions

Fork identification sheet page 2 — Class II forks dimensions table — Page 2 — Class II fork dimension table

Fork identification sheet page 3 — Class III fork dimensions — Page 3 — Class III fork dimensions

Fork identification sheet page 4 — Class IV fork dimensions — Page 4 — Class IV fork dimensions

Page 5 — Class V fork and shaft profile

Fork identification sheet page 6 — pin-type fork patterns — Page 6 — pin-type fork patterns

Fork identification sheet page 7 — heel and shank reference — Page 7 — heel and shank reference

Fork identification sheet page 8 — tine length and capacity table — Page 8 — tine length and capacity table

Fork identification sheet page 9 — proprietary telehandler patterns — Page 9 — proprietary telehandler patterns (Manitou, Merlo, JCB Q-fit)

Fork identification sheet page 10 — capacity de-rating with tine extension — Page 10 — capacity de-rating with tine extensions

ITA carriage class — quick reference

Class	Carriage bar height (mm)	Typical capacity	Common fitment
I	305	up to 2,500 kg	small counter-balance forklifts
II	381	2,500 – 5,500 kg	standard counter-balance forklifts
III	476	5,500 – 10,900 kg	large counter-balance, smaller telehandlers
IV	597	10,900 – 17,200 kg	heavy industrial forklifts, large telehandlers
V	729	17,200+ kg	port equipment and very large machines

Telehandlers — JCB Q-fit, Manitou MLT carriage, Merlo Tac-Lock and Caterpillar TH carriages — use proprietary attachment systems rather than ITA classes. These are not interchangeable between brands without an adapter plate.

Tine length — what to ask for

Tine length is measured from the front face of the heel to the tip. Common construction telehandler lengths in the UK are:

1,200 mm — light pallet work, garden centres
1,500 mm — most general construction, double-stacked pallets
1,800 mm — bulk-bag handling, longer pallets
2,400 mm — block-and-beam, kit-built houses

Capacity de-rates with tine length — a fork rated 2,500 kg at 600 mm load centre will be rated lower at 1,200 mm load centre. Always check the load chart on the carriage data plate.

Compatible machines

Fork patterns covered by this sheet include attachments for:

JCB — Loadall Q-fit, JCB pin, JCB compact telehandler carriage
Manitou — MLT, MT, MHT carriage patterns
Merlo — Panoramic, Turbofarmer, Multifarmer Tac-Lock
Caterpillar — TH series telehandlers
New Holland — LM series telehandlers
Massey Ferguson — agri telehandlers
Bobcat — TL series telehandlers
Volvo Construction Equipment — wheel loader fork carriages

For a full inventory of telehandler systems each fork attaches to, see our Telehandler Parts Guide.

Need help identifying or sourcing forks?

Send us a side-on photo of the fork hook plus the make and model of the machine, and we will identify the correct carriage class and pattern. We supply OEM and quality aftermarket forks, fork extensions and bespoke attachments.