The vehicles have been integral to factories and warehouses for more than a century, but now companies are aspiring to go “forklift-free” to improve productivity and safety. Retail orders for forklifts dropped 28% in 2023, the biggest annual decline in 14 years. Plastic-pipe manufacturer Ipex designed its new factory in North Carolina to minimize the use of forklifts, relying instead on overhead cranes and hand-pushed electric pallet jacks.