Identify Different Forklift Controls

Although it may not be mentioned much in your forklift training, if you work in different workplaces and with different forklifts, you will likely start to notice many forklifts have many different kinds of controls, some are even custom made for certain workplaces!If you are set to be driving many different forklifts, or simply want to expand your knowledge on forklift controls, Read on!

Steps

Steering

  1. Generally the simplest of Forklift controls. Most Forklifts will have an easily recognizable steering wheel, though some may have a small side mounted steering wheel that may look more like a small crank (e.g. Order picking Forklifts)
  2. Counterbalance Forklifts steer in the same way as a car, although with rear wheel steering. Reach Forklifts on the other hand, have their steering reversed, as they are designed for aisle use and are generally intended for backwards driving.
  3. Some Reach forklifts have their steering reversed yet again, which confuses many new reach operators, especially those who have started to learn on traditional reach forklifts.

Accelerating, Braking, and Directional Control

  1. From here on out the variety of controls get more trickier. Accelerating and braking on most forklifts is similar to a car - accelerator and brake pedals. A 3rd pedal, known as the "inching pedal" is on most IC (internal combustion) Forklifts (e.g. Diesel, Propane, and Gasoline) however it shouldn't really ever be used for stopping a forklift in motion - its main purpose is to hold the forklift in a stationary position, disconnecting the transmission and allowing extra power to be applied to the hydraulics - for faster lifting speeds and lifting heavier loads. Most electric Forklifts don't have / don't need an inching pedal.
  2. Directional Control (forwards or backwards). On most counterbalance forklifts this is located on the left hand side of the steering wheel and sometimes resembles an indicator paddle on a motor vehicle.
  3. Other Counterbalance forklifts (especially those with "finger levers") may have Directional control right next to the hydraulic controls, in the form of a small switch
  4. In other odd cases, some counterbalance forklifts have directional control on the actual accelerator pedal! Known informally as a "monotrol", this allows for quicker directional changes however more care must be used for foot placement on accelerator pedal.
  5. Reach forklifts usually differ from counterbalance forklifts - there will usually never be any sort of inching pedal, only a deadman switch, brake, and accelerator.
  6. Some Reach forklifts with a joystick hydraulic control have directional control, accelerating and braking all in the joystick! moved forwards moves the whole forklift forward, moved backward serves as a brake, and moves the forklift backward when at a stop. Most Order picking forklifts have this type of directional control, however sometimes in a handle that resembles a motorcycle throttle
  7. Other Joystick Reach Forklifts, may have the entire joystick functions reprogrammed, making it very confusing for a new operator! Some use the joystick trigger as directional control, and the accelerator to move the forklift

"Deadman Switches"

  1. Deadman Switches are switches on the floor usually found on reach forklifts, order picking forklifts, and turret trucks that must be constantly pressed in order for the forklift to operate. When they are not pressed, all motion and hydraulics is suddenly stopped. They are essentially an extra safety measure to ensure the operators remain in the forklift while it is in motion and being operated, as these operators are in significantly more vulnerable/dangerous positions when operating these kinds of forklifts.

Handbrake

  1. Most forklifts are similar to motor vehicle handbrakes - the traditional pull lever, then press and push down to release.
  2. Some counterbalance forklifts have a pedal that locks to engage the forklift, then a lever is pulled to release the handbrake pedal
  3. Some reach forklifts may have a button or switch that engages the handbrake - look for the parking symbol (P)
  4. Some Electric Forklifts may not even have a handbrake at all - on these forklifts it is automatically applied as soon as the accelerator is released - in these cases though, Always ask a co-worker or supervisor to ensure this is the case before leaving the forklift unattended

Hydraulics

  1. Lastly, the traditional Controls for most counterbalance and reach forklifts are levers - Lift, tilt, and sideshift are standard for most counterbalance forklifts, reach forklifts will have an extra "reach" feature, and some counterbalance or other forklifts may have an extra lever for other accessories - e.g. fork positioners, slip sheet, drum rotator, etc...
  2. Similar to the levers, are the considered more ergonomic "finger controls" that allow quicker literally fingertip acess to hydraulic functions.
  3. Though some reach forklifts may use levers or fingertip controls similar to counterbalance forklifts, others may have joystick control.
  4. Joystick control is tricky because different workplaces can program/reprogram different controls on their joystick reach forklifts that look exactly the same!
  5. One common joystick configuration is push and pull for directional movement, move up and down for lift, two buttons on the face of the joystick for tilt, the thumb scroll for reach, and the trigger when held, turns the thumb feature into sideshift.
  6. Another Joystick configuration is push and pull for lift, move up and down for reach, two buttons on the face of the joystick for tilt, the thumb scroll for sideshift, and the trigger for directional control. As you can see, the two joystick configurations completely contradict each other!!

Tips

  • If you are driving a forklift you have never driven before, always go for a short drive in an open space to test out the controls such as acceleration, braking, hydraulic speed, steering sensitivity, etc
  • For Example some forklifts have very sensitive brakes, others may need a firmer press to be stopped. Some forklifts may have slow moving hydraulic systems (lift,tilt, side shift) where as others may be quite fast, especially electric forklifts.
  • If in doubt, ask a co-worker or supervisor for advice on the controls - Try not to feel embarrassed, as there are countless types of different types of controls for forklifts, some are even custom made for certain workplaces. If you like, you can also explain by stating you're used to different controls. In any case, it is far batter to ask for assistance, than risk an accident if you were unfamiliar with controls.

Warnings

  • As with the first tip, if its your first time driving a new forklift, Don't just pick up a load and go straight to racks or aisles immediately - get a feel for all the controls first, so you know how it drives
  • Some Reach forklifts automatically change direction once a certain turning circle is complete - helpful for experienced operators, however very confusing for inexperienced operators - the only positive, is these forklifts usually have a directional travel indicator light (forward or reverse) so you can see when the forklift has changed direction of its own accord - you can manually change it back yourself, but as an employee you can't always turn this feature off
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