Debunking Three Common Myths About Forklifts

Because the humble forklift hire is such a critical part of the modern world, a lot of myths and falsehoods prevail about how they are created and operated.

Without a forklift hire, many businesses would simply cease to function.

Many supply chain industries, particularly those that use highly efficient warehouses, rely on the forklift truck and its unique properties in order to maximise the use of a particular storage space or to quickly move goods from one location to the next. 

Because of this ubiquity, quite a few common myths about forklifts have emerged, and here is the truth behind some of the most common. 

Forklift Operation Is Not Like Driving A Vehicle

Aside from four wheels (usually) and an engine, forklifts are almost nothing like any other vehicle. 

They are uniquely counterbalanced, they are steered using the rear wheels, they have a unique suspension system that allows them to have a tiny turning circle and the driving position is different. 

The result is that a forklift will feel very different to your car or most other pieces of on-site equipment. This does not make it necessarily any more difficult to learn how to operate it safely, but anyone who hops into the cab expecting it to drive like a car is asking for trouble.

Forklifts Are Not Really Customisable

Operators like to add a personal touch to the vehicles they drive, which is why many lorry cabs look particularly unique.

However, ultimately forklifts have more in common with diggers, pneumatic drills and excavators than they do with lorries and cars, in the sense that too much customisation can interfere with its safe operation, and such a customised forklift may not pass morning and evening inspection.

You Need Training To Operate Them

Some people are under the illusion that because there is no specific forklift driver’s licence that one can simply hop into a forklift and start driving. For many reasons this is a bad idea, but the most relevant here is the law.

The Health and Safety Executive requires that any lift truck operators are trained not only in basic operation but also in the specifics of their particular workplace, with on-the-job familiarisation training so they can apply their knowledge to the job in question.