In 1917, the Clark Equimpent Company designed and produced the world's first industrial truck, the Tructractor. The original purpose of this three-wheel, gas powered truck was to haul materials between production departments at Clark's Buchanan, Michigan plant. Visitors to the plant however, were so impressed with the efficiency with which the tructractor moved materials, that they asked Clark to produce these innovative trucks for sale to other industries.

In 1919 the Clark Tructractor Company was formed. Rapid growth lead to expansion of a new plant in Battle Creek, Michigan, home of Tony the Tiger. Upon completion of the plant in 1922 the formation of Clark's Industrial Truck Division began. Following the Tructractor, Clark pioneered the first Hydraulic Platform truck in 1921, known as the Truclift. Designed to handle skids and boxes, this truck originally incorporated a worm-gear lift mechanism, but was later converted to hydraulic power.

In 1924, Clark introduced the now famous Duat, which was promoted with the saying, "It'll do this; it'll do that; it's the Duat". The Duat featured an innovative condensing muffler, and a lifting attqchment that made it, in effect, the first gas powered lift truck.

The development of the Duat led to the introduction of the Clarkat and the Clarktor in 1927; both tow tractor models. Finally, in 1928, the next step in evolution, Clark manufacturer the Tructier, which offered both a hydraulic lift and front-wheel drive. The tructier was the forerunner of the moder day lift truck and set the stage for distinguishing between a forklift truck and a platform truck.