Vehicle load stat related to lift or?

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Ottriman

I am statting a power-loader / forklift style vehicle that can lift several tons. Now then the Load statistic says that this stat is for when the vehicle is carrying its maximum load.

Does that mean I have to beef up that number to account for how much it can lift as opposed to what it's designed to carry onboard?

There are some real-life practical limits on what a forklift can actually lift. Assuming the forks can handle the weight, a forklift is at heart a gigantic lever with the fulcrum near the lifting frame, so weight being lifted plus weight of forks can't exceed the weight of the rest of the forklift, or it'll tip over. Second, the forks usually operate on a PTO (power take off) setting, meaning you're using the engine to provide the fork's lift. You can't lift the load with any more power than the engine is putting out, but depending on the mechanical advantage, you may still be able to lift a big load. In that case, you're trading time for height. If the engine only puts out enough power to lift one ton one foot per second, with the right mechanical advantage, the forklift could still lift a five ton load, one foot; but it would take it five seconds to do so.