Automatically-guided vehicle having load clamp

An automatically-guided, driverless vehicle (l0) for handling loads (22) has a selectively openable and closeable load clamp (l2). The clamp (l2) is equipped with various sensors (66, 74, 88, 72, 80, 82, 84, 90) for automatically sensing the load (22) and other objects and surfaces surrounding the load, and for controlling the movement of the clamp (l2) along a load-engaging direction, the vertical reciprocation of the clamp, and the opening and the closing of the clamp in response thereto.