Abstract: A pallet sensing system, for a low lift pallet-type fork truck having load wheels extendible downwardly away from and retractable upwardly toward the forks to raise and lower the forks, is characterized by sensors for detecting proper alignment of the fork load wheels with respect to an opening in a bottom deck of a pallet. Upon the forks being extended into the pallet, the sensors disable lift controls of the truck to prevent the wheels from being extended away from the forks to lift the pallet until the sensors detect that the wheels are aligned for unobstructed passage through the bottom deck opening, whereupon the sensors enable the lift controls. The system prevents the pallet bottom deck from being broken by the wheels should an attempt be made to lift the pallet when the wheels are not positioned to pass freely through the opening, but would instead strike and break the bottom deck.