How do you drive and operate a forklift?

I can only answer this about the forklifts that I have operated. There are probably different designs than the two I have used, but I believe that knowing the basics should allow you to operate almost any you come across.

First, let's discuss the operation of the forks themselves, as those controls seem to be fairly standard. You will normally have 2 levers. One lever controls the height of the forks. On every one I have operated, you pull back/down to lift the forks and forward/up to raise them. Different models have different heights.

The second lever controls the front/back tilt of the forks. This allows the weight of the object being carried to be shifted back slightly (toward the fork frame). If you are moving an object over a distance, you want to have the forks tilted back so that the object doesn't fall off the front. It also allows you to remove an object from the top of another obeject without scraping the top. When you want to place the object you are carrying on top of something (or on the ground), you tilt the forks forward and back out from under it. The downward-tilt of the forks helps the object slide off.

Some models have a third level that controls the width of the forks. For some large objects, you want the forks to be spread apart farther to provide more stability. Smaller object may require that the forks be closer together so they fit under it. Models that don't have a lever to control this have to be adjusted manually. This is normally done by lifting the fork by hand, moving it, and then locking it in place where you want it.

Now that you know how to work the forks, let's move on to driving the forklift.

I have operated forklifts that use a clutch and ones that don't (hydrostatic drive).

The clutched models have a gear selector, normally located on the steering column, and a fuel-burning engine, either gasoline or propane. The model I drove had two forward gears (slow and fast) and one reverse. Driving was as simple as picking the gear, holding the clutch in, and then releasing the clutch as you pressed the gas, just like driving a manual transmission car.

The brake pedal served to slow the forklift, although releasing the gas and applying the clutch worked just as well. The brake also locked in place so that the forklift could be held stationary.

The other model I have used emplyed a hydrostatic drive, which, simply, means that you press the gas to go and release it to stop. If you let up on the gas quickly, you stop quickly....you don't coast using a hydrostatic drive.

The interesting thing about the model I used was that the battery powered engine only ran when the gas was pressed. Once the forklift stopped moving, the engine shut off. You started the engine again simply by pressing on the gas.

The hydrostatic model had two gas pedals, forward and reverse. When you wanted to reverse, you let off of the forward accelerator and pressed the reverse pedal.

Now, lets go though a quick rundown of how to pick up something and move it....we'll assume the manual transmission, because it is a little more difficult.

First, start the engine with the key, usually on the side of the steering column. Hold the clutch in and move the gear selector to "Low". Now, press the gas and begin releasing the clutch. One you are moving, use the clutch and gas to control your speed.

Approach the object you want to pick up as straight as possible. We'll assume you are picking up a loaded, wooden pallet. Use the fork-height lever to bring the forks to the level of the pallet. Ensure that the forks are level using the fork-tilt lever. Drive forward slowly until the foks are under the pallet, and the pallet is aginst the back of the forks.

Lift the forks slightly and tilt them backwards so that the load rests against the backstop of the forks. Once the forks are tilted back, lift them a little higher to clear the object below them. Back the forklift slowly until you are able to lower the pallet. Lower the forks so that the pallet is close to, but not touching, the ground.

Now, drive to where you want to put the pallet you are carrying. Make sure you get lined up so the pallet will be placed squarely. Lift the forks up (still tilted back) to the height you need and drive forward slowly. Once the back of the pallet you are carrying is where you want it, lower the forks so they are just above the object you want to put the pallet on.

Finally, tilt the forks forward so that the pallet is touching the object it will be placed on. Back up while lowering the forks slightly, and the pallet should slide off without getting caught on the forks.

Hope that helps...

here's what happens when you listen to bad advice on AB !
can you pick up a quarter with the forklift?

Where's Bob Blaylock when we need him?

Bob could tell you. He is everything forklift.

1) Here you can get some instructions online:
Source and further information:
http://olvc.chisholm.vic.edu.au/warehouse/D10/Virtualwarehouse/D10Tasks/D10tasks.htm


2) "Driving a forklift takes a bit of practice and is nothing like driving a car. Forklifts are steered by their rear wheels, have unwieldy weight distribution, and often have counter-intuitive controls. Depending on where you operate, you may need a license or specialized training, but here is a brief example of how to drive a forklift."
Source and further information:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2002028_drive-forklift.html


3) Here a short movie about the danger of driving a forklift. They say it is funny. I would rather classify it as an horror film:


>>>> WARNING!!! BLOOD!!! NOT FOR CHILDREN!!! <<<<
Gabelstapler fahrer (Forklift driver - En Subtitles)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdjt6Bl5qdY

I hope this makes sense, but I learned to drive, by teaching myself first on a forklift!, I wanted to keep my job at a warehouse, and so I taught myself to load trailers. The most hard thing about it, was not over compensating on turning, as just the rear wheels turn. And there are only to knobs to control the fork skids themselves. (up/down, and tilt)

It's pretty basic and easy..just follow the controls

Just a few days ago, I started my first job in The Real World as a forklift operaor.

The place where I am working seems to have about three or four different types of forklifts, all of which are completely different than that on which I have any previous experience.

Previously, the vast majority of my experience was on a propane-powered "sit-down" forklift; I also had a little bit of experience with a couple of electric "sit-down" lifts, which were somewhat different from the propane one, but not by enough to merit a whole new answer. All of the answers previously posted under this question seem to pertain primarily to this kind of forklift.

My new employer has just started training me on a "stand-up" electric forklift. As the name suggests, you don't sit down in a seat when you operate this one; you stand up, facing sideways. Your left hand operates a crank, which serves as a steering wheel, while the right hand operates a lever that controls forward/reverse motion; and which has switches on it to control the forks and to sound the horn.

The basic concepts are the same as for the "sit-down" forklift, but the overal feel and response is totally different. I'm going to need a lot of practice before I'm nearly as comfortable with this as I am with a "sit-down" lift.

I've also now had a bit of exposure to an order picker, which is an odd kind of lift, where the operator goes up with the load. See http://www.raymondcorp.com/trucks/truckDetail.cfm?TruckID=6 As a general rule, only one person should ever be on a forklift at any time, but apparently there are exceptions made for the order picker; for training purposes, a person being trained may ride on the platform with an experienced operator, and I spent a good part of my first two days on my new job doing that. The controls are similar to those on the stand-up forklift that I previously described, but the operator faces "backward" (at least as defined from the point of view of someone who's used to thinking of the forks on a forklift being the "front" of the machine). The order pickers where I am working use the "Intelliguide" system described at http://www.raymondcorp.com/content/viewArticle.cfm?ArticleID=58#intelliguide In the narrow aisles, a wire-guidance system takes over steering, so that the lift stays in the center of the aisle and doesn't depend on the operator to keep from steering it into the racks.

The machine that most intrigues me at my new workplace is this one: http://www.raymondcorp.com/trucks/truckDetail.cfm?truckID=5 Alas, I don't think they'll let me on that until I've mastered all the simpler lifts first.

  Having completed my forklift training, I thought I'd add an answer describing the specific forklift on which I was trained, and its controls.

  This forklift is made by Nissan, and has a big number “35” on each side.  The full model number, as found on a metal tag, is CPJ01A18PY.  It weighs slightly less than 7,000 pounds, and has a maximum load capacity of slightly less than 3,000 pounds.

  For driving it, the controls are fairly straightforward.  There's a steering wheel, a lever to the left of the wheel that selects forward/neutral/reverse, and three pedals.  The middle and right pedals behave the same way as the brake and accelerator pedals respectively on a car with an automatic transmission.  The leftmost pedal is similar to the brake pedal, except that in addition to engaging the brakes, it also disengages the drive train.  The effect can well be thought of as that of pressing both the brake and clutch pedals together on a manual-transmission-equipped car.  Interestingly, the person who trained me did not realize that there was a difference between the two “brake” pedals.  He thought that both behaved the same as the leftmost pedal.  I guess he just always used the leftmost pedal, never bothered with the middle pedal (which is in a position that makes it somewhat more awkward to use), and simply assumed that the middle pedal behaved the same as the leftmost.  It was I that discovered that there was a difference (the middle pedal engages the brake, but does not disengage the drive train) and enlightened my trainer about this fact.

  The forklift handles very differently than a car.  Most significantly, I think, is that it steers from the back instead of from the front.  It is very maneuverable, having been engineered to operate in very tight spaces.  Some times, when trying to park my car in a tight parking space, I often find myself wishing it would maneuver like a forklift.

  So far as I understand, the above is pretty much standard for most forklifts of this general type.  Fork controls appear to be somewhat less standardized, based on other answers that have been posted here.  On the forklift on which I was trained, there are two levers that control the forks.  As well as I can reproduce it, here is a rendering of what has been drawn in black marker over these two levers on the dashboard of this forklift:

TF  D
   /          <-----
    X
   /           ----->
  U   TB

  The X-shaped figure represents the leftmost of these these two levers, which controls both raising and lowering the forks, and tilting them forward and backward.  I hope it is obvious to the reader that “TF” and “TB” stand for “tilt forward” and “tilt backward”, and that “D” and “U” stand for “down” and “up” respectively.

  Pushing the lever foward and to the right lowers the forks, while pulling the lever back and left raises the forks.  Pushing the lever forward and left tilts the forks forward, and pulling the lever back and right tilts the forks back.

  The other lever moves the forks left and right.  Pushing the lever forward moves the forks left, and pulling the lever backward moves the forks right.

  I am in the process of becoming a forklift operator.  The two other answers heretofore given describe different arrangements of levers to control the forks.  The forklift on which I am learning does not match either of these descriptions.  I guess it is safe to say that the fork controls are not terribly standardized, and that even once one is certified on one forklift, one will have a small learning curve to operate a different forklift.

  Driving the forklift seems to be fairly standardized.  It's very much like a car with an automatic transmission, with one very big difference — it steers from the back instead of the front.  This makes for very different handling and maneuvering, and in particular, you need to pay attention to the way the back end swings out when you turn.

  In any event, you're not going to learn to operate a forklift competently by merely reading this answer, or any other that is posted here.  There are classes that you can take to learn to operate a forklift.  I understand that in some instances, you can take a class that will get you certified in less than a day, for somewhere on the order of $100 or so.  Check for forklift dealers in your area to find out more.  I'm on a different path, working at a place that gives me bits of training here and there, as time permits.  It will take much longer this way, but supposedly I will be, by the time I am certified, much better trained and experienced than what the one-day class woudl achieve, and I'm being paid in the mean time, instead of having to pay.

  OSHA requires that forklift operaters be trained and certified, and must be recertified every three years.

depends on the forklift.
Usually there is a forward and back lever and the footpedal controls the speed.
THe forklift steers from the rear wheels and hence is quite manueverable. THe steering wheel generally has a knob in the middle and you steer with one hand whilst operating the tine controls (the forks).
Lifting items with the forks is something that should be instructed by a professional. :)

Be Careful. If you dont have proper training a Forklift " Can be Very Dangerous to you and maybe someone around you."
Want more info ? Call any dealer like Case or Hyster. Use their toll free # and they will connect you with all the info on the training you need.

normally you have throttle and break.forward and reverse on the steering column,2 or 3 handles on the right first one for up and down,second for tilt,third if it has one is for side to side.Some can even flip the forks over Some have a clutch,some are gas or propane some are electric but all are pretty close.

Depends on the model of the forklift!

ive also driven many forks in my time,though ive never seen one where u can adjust the width of the forks with a lever, only ones where u adjust them manually. ive also driven a lot of forks that have only a forward and reverse lever, these are known as automatic forklifts and u dont have to change speeds. they only have a brake pedal which u can press down to stop or slow down and of course they have a gas pedal. the newer model forks also have an extra lever for side shift which means u can slide the forkframe left or right with a pull of the lever, this helps with stacking but a true forklift driver should never need to use them how ever they can be helpful when loading a truck. also u should be careful not to turn at high speeds especially with the forks raised as this shifts the forklifts centre of gravity and increase the risk of tipping the forklift over.

Although there are many different types of forklifts, I will explain the standard "sit down" type that is most commonly seen and used.

Driving the forklift is very similar to driving a car in that you have an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, steering wheel, a parking brake and a gear shift or a lever to switch from forward to reverse. Manuvering it can be a bit tricky because its steered from the rear and attempting to negotiate the turns takes practice.

Operation of the lift mechanism is done with 3 handles. One handle controlls the lifting and lowering of the forks, another handle controlls latteral movement of the forks in case you have to put a pallet or some other object in a tight space, and then the third handle controlls the tilting of the lift mechanism which aids in removing a load from the forks that do not have enough clearence on the bottom to allow the forks to freely slide out.

When driving the forklift with a load that obstructs the view from the front, it is safer to drive backwards in order to give you the best visability. When hauling a load on a ramp or an inclined surface the load should always be uphill, thus if you are taking the load down an inclined surface, you should be driving in reverse.

Never drive sideways or diagonally across an inclined surface. If the forklift begins to tip over, stand up and brace yourself on the sides of the frame. Do not attempt to jump off of the forklift.

Depends on the type of forklift.