Material handling is the short-distance movement, storage, and control of that from which things are made, throughout the process of manufacturing, distribution, consumption, and disposal.

This category is focused on the supply of equipment and associated services to businesses undertaking materials handling activities. This category lists sites which either relate to the materials handling industry as a whole, or relate to materials handling in more than one industrial sector.

Most sites are listed within one of three main equipment groups - Automated, Bulk, or Manual.

Sites relating primarily to materials handling equipment specifically used in factories and involved in actually manufacturing the material are not listed here - they are listed within Manufacturing/Factory_Automation.

Sites related to equipment which alters the nature or condition of batches of materials, rather than just transporting it, are listed within Machinery_and_Tools/Process_Equipment.

Sites for businesses that conduct a range of machining and custom manufacturing activities, of which just one is the production of materials handling equipment, are listed within Casting,_Molding,_Machining and/or at the appropriate Regional level.

Sites related primarily to packaging materials such as bags are listed within Packaging.

This category does not list associated management processes, such as supply chain management, or warehousing and other logistics and distribution services.