All About Cars

Forklift Truck Operators Are in Great Demand—Is This Career for You?

27 July 2018

Gladys Carter

If you love everything that has four wheels, you may be looking for a career in the automotive sector and have been looking at various opportunities. You might have considered a bus or truck licence or even a job as a chauffeur, but there may be other opportunities that feature a different style of driving altogether. Forklift driving can be equally lucrative—here is some information on why you should broaden your horizons consider a career in distribution.

Boom Industry

As you may know, retail trends are changing as members of the public opt to buy their goods online and get them delivered. In other words, they are trying to avoid a trip to the nearest high-street and are choosing the easier route. As a consequence, the warehouse industry is growing exponentially and as it does, managers are looking for first-class forklift operators to help them meet the demand.

Daily Responsibilities

Your day will begin with a careful inspection of the equipment. You will be responsible for lifting and moving heavy weights and have to clear your equipment on a daily basis before you can get to work.

Once you are under way, you must make sure that you wear safety belts at all times and pay attention to your surroundings when moving from point-to-point. A forklift truck is only allowed to operate in a controlled environment and should never be driven outside of these areas, especially when transporting any weight.

Remember, the truck will work best if you keep to a certain speed and avoid any quick manoeuvres. In particular, be aware of the mast position when entering or leaving a building and keep the machine away from obstacles or other equipment at all times.

Assessing a Situation

As a driver, you need to focus your attention on the road surface ahead, especially if it is uneven or wet. This piece of equipment is not fitted with suspension dampers and as such is not designed to operate in all conditions, so if you're not sure, stop and ask a member of the management team.

Constant Calculation

Each truck is capable of lifting a considerable weight, but only within defined parameters. It is your job as the operator to make sure that it is never overloaded and to ensure that the load cannot topple under any circumstances. If you need to, use approved fastenings to secure it before you move to the next point.

Is This for You?

This is just a general overview of your responsibilities as a forklift truck driver. As you can see, you have to maintain your own initiative and employ best practices at all times. Make sure that you get the right training as you move along this path, so that you can get a forklift licence and take advantage of this big opportunity soon.

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