How to Use a Lift truck
Forklifts are material handling equipment which can move loads. Most commonly, these equipment are used in certain industries to transport heavy materials in various settings like supply companies, warehouses and airports. Any person operating a lift truck must be taught to cautiously use the machine. It is essential to be fully aware of one's environment while driving a forklift. Lift trucks are designed to run on propane, gasoline, diesel or batteries. Regular forklifts are popular in various commercial applications and are not difficult to utilize with correct training. The following steps outline the basics of utilizing a lift truck:
1 Familiarize yourself with the levers which will be used to maneuver the cargo and to transport the item from one location to another. The levers can be found to the steering wheel's right side.
2 The first lever can move the forks up and down. Pushing the lever away from your body moves them down and pulling the lever towards you moves the blades up. Blades must be kept close to the ground except when loading or unloading.
3 The two other levers work to control the blades movement right and left and to control the blades tilt. The tines are designed to tilt between 15 and 30 degrees. It is recommended that you practice prior to picking up a load. Utilizing the second lever, pull it towards you to tilt the forks back, and push it away from your body to tilt the forks forward.
4 Lever number 4 is utilized to control the side to side movement of the forks from right to left. Simply move the lever towards where you want the blades to move: right in order to move the forks right and left in order to move the tines left.
5 Always approach a cargo cautiously. Lower the blades and drive forward cautiously until the tines slide under the cargo. Afterward lift the tines several centimeters by pulling the lever towards your body. If the cargo is top-heavy, you have to tilt the blades backwards a little 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 place where you will be working carefully. Control the levers to maneuver the cargo to where it is going. When the cargo is positioned, reverse gears and back away cautiously.
7 Forklifts stop in much the same way as other vehicles. The brake is located to the left of the accelerator. When stopped, put the gear into "park."