Abstract: The invention is concerned with forklift vehicle and in particular with a shock absorber device for use with such vehicles to reduce the severity of damage caused to pallets by the forklift vehicle. In accordance with the invention, the forklift vehicle has a conventional post structure with a carriage structure movable up and down the post structure. The carriage structure includes vertically spaced, horizontally extending carriage beams to which the forks of the vehicle are attached. The shock absorber device has an elongate shock absorbing body and a backing plate on which the shock absorbing body is mounted. The backing plate is connected to and supported only by the lowest carriage beam with no attachment between the backing plate and any upper carriage beam. The shock absorbing body extends horizontally across and in front of the lowest carriage beam, between the forks, in a position to impact upon the internal cross-bearers of a pallet.