Yale serial number lookup
Yale serial numbers encode the year the truck was built. Same four-part layout as Hyster: design series code (4 letters/digits, maps to model via a prefix table), plant letter, production sequence (per-plant numbering starts at 1501), final year letter.
How Yale serial numbers work
Same four-part layout as Hyster: design series code (4 letters/digits, maps to model via a prefix table), plant letter, production sequence (per-plant numbering starts at 1501), final year letter. In use since 1995: S = 1995, T = 1996, ... skipping I, O and Q, repeating every 23 years. Warehouse IQ says pre-1995 Yale serials do not show the year. [src]
Sources disagree on recent year letters (2017-2026): Intella's Yale table prints Q = 2017 and shifts later letters, yet the same article says Q is not used and that 'S' means 1995 or 2018. Warehouse IQ's Yale table omits Q and gives R = 2017, S = 2018 ... Z = 2025. year_letters above follows the consistent 23-letter cycle. The decoder shows both readings.
Worked example: B875B04662D
| Series / model code | B875 |
|---|---|
| Plant | B = Craigavon, Northern Ireland |
| Production sequence | 04662 |
| Model year | 2006 |
Example serial from How to Find a Yale Forklift Serial Number (Warehouse IQ blog; parts/manuals seller) [src].
Year letter table (23 letters)
| Letter | Years |
|---|---|
| A | 2003, 2026 |
| B | 2004 |
| C | 2005 |
| D | 2006 |
| E | 2007 |
| F | 2008 |
| G | 2009 |
| H | 2010 |
| J | 2011 |
| K | 2012 |
| L | 2013 |
| M | 2014 |
| N | 2015 |
| P | 2016 |
| R | 2017 |
| S | 1995, 2018 |
| T | 1996, 2019 |
| U | 1997, 2020 |
| V | 1998, 2021 |
| W | 1999, 2022 |
| X | 2000, 2023 |
| Y | 2001, 2024 |
| Z | 2002, 2025 |
Where is the Yale serial number?
The nameplate (data tag / info plate) is usually near the dashboard. If unreadable, newer trucks may hold the serial in the electronic system, or it may be stamped into the frame.
Help build the database
Know your truck's year from the data plate or paperwork? Send the serial and year. Confirmed pairs build per-brand serial ranges, shown as "confirmed by N owners".
Sources
- How To Decode Yale Forklift Serial And Model Numbers (Intella Parts blog, June 4, 2015; aftermarket parts seller) (retrieved November 3, 2026)
- How to Find a Yale Forklift Serial Number (Warehouse IQ blog; parts/manuals seller) (retrieved November 3, 2026)
- Figuring Out the Year of Your Hyster or Yale Forklift (Warehouse IQ blog, Dave Martinez, July 8, 2026) (retrieved November 3, 2026)
These rules come from the sources listed, which are aftermarket parts sellers, not the manufacturer. When the data plate shows a manufacture date, the plate wins.