Forklift trucks come with varying masts depending on what height is needed to be reached. If the primary use for the fork lift is loading and unloading transportation, then the truck may not need much height at all; however if within a warehouse the shelves are of a certain height, e.g. 5m, the reach of the lift required will be 5m.

Masts come in various configurations as follows:

Simplex mast – A simplex mast is a single stage mast with a single channel. The mast and carriage rise simultaneously. It is built in different sizes to meet various lift heights.

Duplex mast – A duplex mast has two channels, is a two stage mast consisting of a simplex mast and a free lift cylinder. The free lift cylinder is the first stage, raising the carriage 940 to 1570mm before the inner mast channel extends. When fully extended the main lift cylinders raise the inner mast channels.

Triplex mast – A triplex mast has three stages, with two inner mast channels and a free lift cylinder. The advantage of this mast is reduced overall lowered heights with increased maximum fork heights. They are one of the most popular mast types, simply because they can perform a variety of functions like loading and unloading vehicles in addition to lifting to higher lift heights.

Quad mast - A quad mast has four stages with three inner mast channels and a free lift cylinder. Quad masts are built for the same reasons as triplex masts.