Fork lift drivers. A question. (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: Yesterday 7:28:33 PM EDT
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Are the controls the same from brand to brand? Brake and gas pedal on the floor. 3 controls on the dash. Been awhile since I drove one. Have a chance at making considerably more driving one unloading trucks at a main hub here in town than I do at my regular job. |
| I my experience it is like most cars or trucks. Controls aren't standardized between manufacturers and models, but they're generally similar. If you are familiar with one, you'll be able to learn a new one. |
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| We just got a new Hyster. There is no FWD/REV shifter. It’s a dual pedal like a Bobcat. It only has 2 levers: UP/DOWN and LEFT/RIGHT. It also has sensors that apply the brakes if someone gets too close. The E-brake is electric, and applies when you turn the switch off. |
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My Toyota had four levers to control the forks. I briefly drove an old model, don't remember the brand but it was painted green, that had one lever for the forks. Kind of worked like a joy stick; push up to raise, pull down to lower, pull back to tilt back, push forward for the opposite. |
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Depends on the brand Toyotas are stupid easy to drive, well for the most part. Cats are not bad either. I am sure you would figure it out pretty quick. I have never driven a stand up one, but I have not driven any forklift in a very long time. I had a couple of forklift drivers working for me in Dutch Hbr, AK. They were incredible with them, you could throw a dime on the dock and he could drive over and with the end of the fork flip it up onto the top of the blade. If he is still alive he would be in his late 70s. |
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20-year forklift operator here. Yes, they will all be basically the same as long as your company specs them similar. Left stick up and down, middle stick tilt, right stick side-shift. Ours have a 4th stick on the right to control another function. Our new Toyota's have joysticks on the armrest you work with your fingers instead of levers off the dash. Most have a clutch-brake. Push the brake pedal down half way and it disengages the "clutch" so you can use engine RPM to increase hydraulic flow (raise the forks faster, or apply more pressure to a function). We've had Yale, CAT, Toyota, and Crown... *Edit: The above is for sit-down propane units. When you get into the stand-up electrics or side pickers...all bets are off. I have no experience with those. |
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Attached File This one's been mine for the past dozen years. The controls have been discontinued and was two generations ago. When the joystick wore out Alta had to send it to a specialist to rebuild it. The newest generations have sensors that lock the truck when you break the beam by letting a foot/let slip out of the controlled space. Having huge feet I cannot drive them at all. Forklift controls are constantly changing. |
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 Gabelstaplerfahrer Klaus eng subtitled german forklift safety video |
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I should have been a little more clear I guess. Not speaking of the Cherry pickers but a sit down and drive forklift. Last forklift I drove was an old Clark. At an old company that I worked for, Toyota forklifts were common as were a few other brands. They all had 3 on the dash and brake and gas on the floor. I didn`t even know about or imagine a forklift that would have a joystick controller. Fascinating. |
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There it is. 
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Originally Posted By Xringlover: I didn`t even know about or imagine a forklift that would have a joystick controller. Fascinating.  I miss our 75k Taylor forklift, it had live hydraulic valves for the mast controls instead of solenoids, you could do surgery with that beast Taylor forklift:  |
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Thirty year operator here. If you're thinking about going to a cross dock type of operation beware. Unloading semi trailers sounds easy but it requires cat-like reflexes and is very hard on your back from going into and out of trailers all day. There's a YT channel all about forklift accidents. Watch a couple hours and you may reconsider your prospective career change. |
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Originally Posted By Seabee_Mech: Very common in telehandler/extendable boom forklifts. Our 35K Cat Forklift has toggle switches on the right arm rest for controls and the turn signal stalk and F-N-R stalk are one the wrong sides I miss our 75k Taylor forklift, it had live hydraulic valves for the mast controls instead of solenoids, you could do surgery with that beast Taylor forklift: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/119852/images-3583279.jpg That thing is a Hoss! Bigger than what I would imagine a trucking company would have. |
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Originally Posted By RJinks: Thirty year operator here. If you're thinking about going to a cross dock type of operation beware. Unloading semi trailers sounds easy but it requires cat-like reflexes and is very hard on your back from going into and out of trailers all day. There's a YT channel all about forklift accidents. Watch a couple hours and you may reconsider your prospective career change. Sounds easy because it is easy. |
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Originally Posted By JustANumber: 20-year forklift operator here. Yes, they will all be basically the same as long as your company specs them similar. Left stick up and down, middle stick tilt, right stick side-shift. Ours have a 4th stick on the right to control another function. Our new Toyota's have joysticks on the armrest you work with your fingers instead of levers off the dash. Most have a clutch-brake. Push the brake pedal down half way and it disengages the "clutch" so you can use engine RPM to increase hydraulic flow (raise the forks faster, or apply more pressure to a function). We've had Yale, CAT, Toyota, and Crown... *Edit: The above is for sit-down propane units. When you get into the stand-up electrics or side pickers...all bets are off. I have no experience with those. That is called an inching pedal on the Clark machines I ran. Left to right across the floor Left pedal was the"inching" brake+neutral Steering column Right brake - normal Farthest right gas pedal Any big mast move was flat foot the inch and gas to get the hydraulic pumps moving fast. |
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Originally Posted By RJinks: Thirty year operator here. If you're thinking about going to a cross dock type of operation beware. Unloading semi trailers sounds easy but it requires cat-like reflexes and is very hard on your back from going into and out of trailers all day. There's a YT channel all about forklift accidents. Watch a couple hours and you may reconsider your prospective career change. A friend of mine told me tonight that he was unloading a truck and was almost done when, while, he was in the truck the truck started to pull away from the dock. Apparently, the dock worker got the driver to sign the delivery sheet as completed while the unloading was going on. Truck driver was driving away with my buddy in it on his forklift. A slew of dockworkers was chasing the truck driver across the parking lot and yelling for him to stop. Thankfully, the driver stopped. His back doors were still open. |
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Originally Posted By JimmyAR: Depends on the brand Toyotas are stupid easy to drive, well for the most part. Cats are not bad either. I am sure you would figure it out pretty quick. I have never driven a stand up one, but I have not driven any forklift in a very long time. I had a couple of forklift drivers working for me in Dutch Hbr, AK. They were incredible with them, you could throw a dime on the dock and he could drive over and with the end of the fork flip it up onto the top of the blade. If he is still alive he would be in his late 70s. I could do that after seeing it once in college. A real forklift OPERATOR spends ten minutes doing something on a lift that you could get off and do in seconds. |
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Originally Posted By Xringlover: A friend of mine told me tonight that he was unloading a truck and was almost done when, while, he was in the truck the truck started to pull away from the dock. Apparently, the dock worker got the driver to sign the delivery sheet as completed while the unloading was going on. Truck driver was driving away with my buddy in it on his forklift. A slew of dockworkers was chasing the truck driver across the parking lot and yelling for him to stop. Thankfully, the driver stopped. His back doors were still open. Originally Posted By Xringlover: Originally Posted By RJinks: Thirty year operator here. If you're thinking about going to a cross dock type of operation beware. Unloading semi trailers sounds easy but it requires cat-like reflexes and is very hard on your back from going into and out of trailers all day. There's a YT channel all about forklift accidents. Watch a couple hours and you may reconsider your prospective career change. A friend of mine told me tonight that he was unloading a truck and was almost done when, while, he was in the truck the truck started to pull away from the dock. Apparently, the dock worker got the driver to sign the delivery sheet as completed while the unloading was going on. Truck driver was driving away with my buddy in it on his forklift. A slew of dockworkers was chasing the truck driver across the parking lot and yelling for him to stop. Thankfully, the driver stopped. His back doors were still open. No dock lock, no drive lift in trailer. Loading dock crew (esp fork operator) is the only one to release the dock lock. Trailer goes nowhere. Don't all loading docks have dock locks that prevent trailers from being taken away? |
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Originally Posted By Lieh-tzu: No dock lock, no drive lift in trailer. Loading dock crew (esp fork operator) is the only one to release the dock lock. Trailer goes nowhere. Don't all loading docks have dock locks that prevent trailers from being taken away? Maybe they do now but the incident happened around 1990 or so. |
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Originally Posted By Lieh-tzu: Don't all loading docks have dock locks that prevent trailers from being taken away? Some places do. Some places make the driver disconnect from the trailer. Some places place a lock on the trailers gladhand. Probably more, but those are the ones I see in my immediate area. |
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Originally Posted By Lieh-tzu: No dock lock, no drive lift in trailer. Loading dock crew (esp fork operator) is the only one to release the dock lock. Trailer goes nowhere. Don't all loading docks have dock locks that prevent trailers from being taken away? Then the trailer drivers would try and pull the trailers out with the locks on. Never ending repairs on the locks. Sensors broken, pins and bolts sheared off, units pulled off the concret wall.
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Originally Posted By Lieh-tzu: No dock lock, no drive lift in trailer. Loading dock crew (esp fork operator) is the only one to release the dock lock. Trailer goes nowhere. Don't all loading docks have dock locks that prevent trailers from being taken away? No, they don't all have them. Those that do, doesn't mean they will get used (if they even work). It is a safety feature, not a guarantee. |
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Exactly what came to mind when I read the title. I showed this to the corporate safety guy and I think I traumatized him. |
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Originally Posted By Lieh-tzu: No dock lock, no drive lift in trailer. Loading dock crew (esp fork operator) is the only one to release the dock lock. Trailer goes nowhere. Don't all loading docks have dock locks that prevent trailers from being taken away? Originally Posted By Lieh-tzu: Originally Posted By Xringlover: Originally Posted By RJinks: Thirty year operator here. If you're thinking about going to a cross dock type of operation beware. Unloading semi trailers sounds easy but it requires cat-like reflexes and is very hard on your back from going into and out of trailers all day. There's a YT channel all about forklift accidents. Watch a couple hours and you may reconsider your prospective career change. A friend of mine told me tonight that he was unloading a truck and was almost done when, while, he was in the truck the truck started to pull away from the dock. Apparently, the dock worker got the driver to sign the delivery sheet as completed while the unloading was going on. Truck driver was driving away with my buddy in it on his forklift. A slew of dockworkers was chasing the truck driver across the parking lot and yelling for him to stop. Thankfully, the driver stopped. His back doors were still open. No dock lock, no drive lift in trailer. Loading dock crew (esp fork operator) is the only one to release the dock lock. Trailer goes nowhere. Don't all loading docks have dock locks that prevent trailers from being taken away? The place that I worked required the driver to be present during cargo transfer…. No diver, no movement. Very effective. |
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Originally Posted By ntxrob: Xringlover larp thread. He's long happily retired, I hope. Have a few years to go. Still have some get up and go before "my get up and go got up and went". My mind tells my body that I am still young. My body tells my mind that I am an idiot.
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Originally Posted By RJinks: Thirty year operator here. If you're thinking about going to a cross dock type of operation beware. Unloading semi trailers sounds easy but it requires cat-like reflexes and is very hard on your back from going into and out of trailers all day. There's a YT channel all about forklift accidents. Watch a couple hours and you may reconsider your prospective career change. Years ago I had an asshole I was unloading, go back to his cab and drive away with me and forktruck in the back on the trailer, he even drove over the chocks and ripped the chains out of the wall. Im just glad he stopped to get out and close the doors. The newer style docks where they grab and hang onto the trailer so you cant drive away are better than pop up plates. As for controls, they vary from brand to brand depending upon features, most have tilt, raise/lower, side shift, some have rotate and other controls to. This is for standard type multi mast sitdown counterbalance trucks. CAT makes nice ones. Reach is awhole nother matter with controls and dead pedal with joystick. Jungheinrich makes a fine truck, had a few of those at my last factory. |
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Originally Posted By Matanzas: It's an entry level job the ANYONE can do. Aim a bit higher OP. At $30 per hour, looks pretty daw gone good. Sadly, when I was running the QC department at the company I worked for in the past, $22 was all that they were paying. Sheesh. I wouldn`t mind doing something else if it payed more. If a garbage collector was making $50 per hour, looks good to me at this point. My dreams and aspirations are much higher. I know what I am capable of. Much higher than driving a forklift. |
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Originally Posted By Xringlover: Are the controls the same from brand to brand? NO Brake and gas pedal on the floor. 99% of the time...YES. 3 controls on the dash. Depends on if you have side shift, or other options. Been awhile since I drove one. Have a chance at making considerably more driving one unloading trucks at a main hub here in town than I do at my regular job. |