Forklift Controls
Inside any warehouse environment, one of the most common equipments is a forklift or lift truck. These versatile equipment consist of a vehicle along with two split forks at the front which are capable of transporting and carrying bulky items.
Forklifts are able to maneuver in small spaces and can lift objects into hard to reach, up high places. Lift trucks are still really dangerous equipment and must be used in a safe way at all times, after proper training and certification has taken place.
When new to a lift truck, make time to read the owner's guidebook and familiarize yourself with the controls. Be certain to take note of the location of each specific control and what particular feature it functions. Most forklifts have two levers which control the forks. The first lever controls the height of the fork. In order to make the forks go down, you push the lever forward. To move the forks upwards, you simply pull back on the lever.
The forklift's second lever is used to tilt the forks allowing for better weight distribution across the forklift. This tilting action helps to keep things steady and won't allow items to fall off while driving. Furthermore, it helps things slide off in a more balanced method when unloading.
In order to tilt the forks back, you pull the lever back and in order to tilt the forks forward, you simply push the lever forward. Various kinds of forklifts are outfitted with a third lever which controls the width of the forks. Each one of these levers is situated just to the right of the operator's seat.
Before operating the forklift, sit inside of it and go over what the controls do with a qualified coworker. Be sure to do this when the forklift is turned off and not in use. Ask the trained expert if you have any questions about how something works.
Observation is usually the best method to learn new forklift skills. So take time to observe a coworker demonstrating the function of every control. On hydrostatic forklifts, notice that to be able to make the equipment go, you use the gas. And if you would like to make it stop, you simply release the gas pedal. There is no brake on these types of forklifts. There are several kinds of hydrostatic forklifts that are complete with battery powered engines that turn off when the gas pedal is released. They start up when the gas pedal is pushed again.