Vehicle mounted fork lift and method

Load lifting apparatus adapted to be mounted on a truck or other vehicle for picking up a load from a loading/unloading position, for placing said load in a traveling position on the truck, and for unloading said load, said apparatus comprising a lift frame configured to be mounted on said truck, a shaft journalled with respect to said lift frame, a pair of spaced arms secured to and rotatable with said shaft, a cross member spanning between said arms distal from the connection of said arms to said shaft, and at least one load lifting member supported from said cross member, said cross member and said load lifting member carried by said cross member being rotatable with respect to said support arms, a drive for rotating said shaft between a first shaft position in which said load lifting member is in said loading/unloading position such that with said lift frame mounted on said truck, said load lifting member is in a substantially horizontal position so that the load may be positioned on said load lifting member and a second shaft position in which said load lifting member and said load carried thereby are in said traveling position, said drive being operable in reverse direction for rotating said shaft from said second shaft position to said first shaft position so as to move said load lifting member and said load from said traveling position to said loading/unloading position so that said load may be unloaded from said load lifting member, and means for maintaining said load lifting member and said load carried thereby in a substantially level position as said shaft is rotated between its said first and second positions to effect movement of said lifting member and said load between said loading/unloading and traveling positions.