How to Use a Lift truck
Lift trucks are lifting equipment which can move cargo. They are normally used in various industries to move heavy materials. They could be found at building supply companies, warehouses and airports. Anybody operating a lift truck has to be taught to cautiously use the machinery. It is vital to be totally aware of one's environment while driving a forklift. Lift trucks are designed to run on gasoline, propane, diesel or batteries. Regular lift trucks are common in a wide range of commercial applications and are really not hard to operate with correct training. The following steps outline the fundamentals of utilizing a forklift:
1 Familiarize yourself with the levers which will be used to maneuver the load and to move the item from one location to another. The levers could be found to the right side of the steering wheel.
2 The first lever controls the up and down movement of the blades. Pushing the lever away from you moves them down and pulling the lever towards your body moves the tines up. Tines must be kept close to the ground except when loading or unloading.
3 The other two levers control the tilt and the left/right movement of the blades. The blades are designed to tilt between 15 and 30 degrees. It is better that you practice before picking up a load. Utilizing the second lever, push it away from your body to tilt the tines forward, and pull it towards you to tilt the forks back.
4 Lever number 4 is used to control the forks side to side movement from right to left. Simply move the lever towards where you want the tines to move: left to move the forks left, and right in order to move the tines right.
5 Cautiously approach the cargo. Lower the blades and drive forward carefully until the blades slide under the cargo. Next lift the tines a few centimeters by pulling the lever towards you. If the load is top-heavy, you must tilt the blades backwards a little for balance.
6 Alert other people and employees when the lift truck is approaching by honking and take safety precautions by taking corners slowly and honking. Approach the place where you would be working with care. Control the levers to maneuver the cargo to where it is going. When the load is placed, reverse gears and back away carefully.
7 A lift truck stops the same way as an automobile. The brake is located to the accelerator's left side. Once stopped, shift the gear into "park."