Both standard and powered types of jacks are often referred to as pallet trucks. The powered style trucks allow the operator to walk behind or in some cases stand on or sit in the pallet truck while he operates it. Battery powered, these jacks are designed to move at slow speeds of around 2 mph. Models with forklift style masts for reaching stacked pallets are designed more for rearranging pallets than for moving them long distances.
Both manual and powered jacks come in both standard and a variety of specialty models. Some come with adjustable width forks. Others come with very precise scales. Still others are specifically designed for use in freezers, where a standard model would not stand up to constant drastic changes in temperature and normal hydraulic fluids would fail in freezing conditions.
The all-terrain pallet jack features large wheels and a wide wheel base. One of these units can travel safely over rough outdoor terrain, even in snowy conditions. For extra safety, it has wide outriggers that cradle the pallet, helping prevent slippage of the pallet or the payload when traveling over uneven and slanted surfaces. The extra-large pneumatic back wheels make it easy to get the truck rolling and keep it rolling on rough ground.