How to Correctly Utilize a Lift truck
Lift trucks are material handling equipment that could transport loads. Most commonly, these equipment are utilized in some industries to transport heavy supplies in various settings like warehouses, airports and supply companies. Anyone operating a forklift must be taught to use the equipment carefully. It is essential to be completely aware of one's environment while driving a forklift. Lift trucks are designed to run on propane, gasoline, batteries or diesel. Regular forklifts are common in a wide range of commercial applications and are not hard to use with correct training. The following steps outline the basics of operating a forklift:
1 Familiarize yourself with the levers which will be utilized to maneuver the cargo and to move the item from one location to another. The levers can be found to the right side of the steering wheel.
2 The first lever controls the down and up movement of the blades. Pulling the lever towards your body moves the blades up, and pushing the lever away from your body moves them down. Blades must always be kept close to the ground except when unloading or loading.
3 The other two levers control the tilt and the right/left movement of the forks. The tines are designed to tilt between 15 and 30 degrees. It is recommended that you practice before picking up a load. Using the second lever, pull it towards you to tilt the forks back, and push it away from you to tilt the tines forward.
4 The third lever is moved side to side to control the movement of the forks from right to left. Just move the lever towards where you want the forks to move: right to move the tines right and left to move the tines left.
5 Carefully approach the load. Lower the tines and drive forward cautiously until the tines slide under the cargo. Afterward lift the forks a few centimeters by pulling the lever towards you. If the load is top-heavy, you should tilt the forks backwards a small amount for balance.
6 Safe driving rules include slowly taking corners and honking to alert pedestrians or other employees that the lift truck is approaching. Approach the area where you would be working cautiously. Control the levers to maneuver the load to where it is going. When the load is placed, reverse gears and back away cautiously.
7 Forklifts stop in much the same way as other kinds of vehicles. The brake is located to the accelerator's left side. When stopped, shift the gear into "park."