All About Forklift Training

Being trained to drive a forklift truck competently and safely – with the certification to prove it – lets you into a world of staggering growth and unending job opportunities.

In 2011 the sales of forklift trucks in the UK had risen by 20% compared with two years previously, and the rise of online shopping means more and more warehouse space with an increasing demand for speedy and numerous forklift truck drivers to satisfy.

This trend shows no sign of slowing, and newly trained drivers will be likely to have their pick from hundreds or even thousands of jobs in their area alone.

What are the types of forklift truck?

A forklift truck is not a simple single vehicle, but rather a type of vehicle which can have several different variations depending on the job it’s needed for.

The two main types of forklift are ‘counterbalance’ and ‘reach’, and these are the ones most prominently used in the UK today.

Counterbalance forklifts are the most common of these. They’re simple to operate and can be driven right up to the loads they need to carry. The front of the machine and the weight of the load is counterbalanced by the weight of the backend of the forklift, which is how it got its name.

Reach trucks, on the other hand, can reach forward to pick up a load. For this reason, they’re most commonly used in warehouses where high shelving and stacking of loads makes this feature most useful.

Another forklift type that has shown a growth in popularity and usage is the telescopic handler. This forklift is the most complex to learn but is used in construction and agriculture where jobs can be the most financially rewarding.

A rough terrain forklift is also excellent for construction projects because it can, as the name suggests, handle a lot of difficult types of terrain. This makes it ideal for the rough land of a construction site in its early stages.

Finally, a side loader forklift is designed for the narrow aisles of some warehouses which can be difficult to get a reach or counterbalance forklift along. These forklifts have side-mounted forks and may even have standing-only space in the cab to make them even more compact.

Where can I train?

If you book a Forklift Training Course with a market leader such as www.hgvtraining.co.uk, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the number of centres you can have access to.

The company has more than 60 training centres around the UK, so you’re highly likely to find one within just a few miles of where you are. This makes traveling in for training as cheap and simple as possible.

What accreditation do I get?

Through a company such as Specialist HGV Training, you can get accreditation from a number of recognised and respected regulatory bodies.

This includes the Road Transport Industry Training Board (RTITB), the Independent Training Standards Scheme and Register (ITSAAR), the Association of Lorry Loader Manufacturers and Importers

(ALLMI), the National Plant Operators Registration Scheme (NPORS) and the Association of Industrial Truck Trainers (AITT).

 

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