Truck Familiarisation
Truck Familiarisation tests whether you can read a capacity plate correctly, identify the differences between trucks, and explain why an experienced operator still needs familiarisation on a new machine.
The data plate is the authority
Fields you must be able to read: manufacturer, model and serial number; unladen truck weight; rated capacity in kilograms; load centre in millimetres; maximum lift height; attachment type with its derated capacity; tyre type and, on electric trucks, battery weight and voltage. The capacity applies only at the stated load centre and, where given, the stated lift height. Where the plate shows a rating for the bare truck and a lower one for the truck with an attachment, the attachment figure governs whenever it is fitted.
Differences that change how you drive
- Power source - electric is quiet and fume-free but the battery is part of the counterweight; diesel needs ventilation and brings noise and exhaust; LPG brings cylinder changes and gas-leak checks.
- Transmission - hydrostatic trucks inch and brake differently from torque-converter or manual trucks.
- Steering and tail swing - the counterweight sweeps outwards on a turn; judge gaps by the rear corner, not the forks.
- Hydraulic layout - lever positions and side-shift controls vary between models.
- Tyres - cushion, pneumatic and solid tyres behave differently on ramps, wet floors and rough ground.
Worked example
An unfamiliar truck's plate shows 2,000 kg at 500 mm, and 1,600 kg at 600 mm with the side-shift fitted and the mast at 4.5 m. Your pallet weighs 1,650 kg with its centre of gravity 600 mm from the fork face and must be stacked at 4.2 m. The governing figure is 1,600 kg, so the pallet is over capacity - reduce the load, split the pallet or use a larger truck. Reading only the headline 2,000 kg is how this lift goes wrong.
Traps
- Assuming all counterbalance trucks handle alike.
- Using the bare-truck rating when an attachment with its own plate is fitted.