OT New Forklift

[TNIceWolf]

Yesterday at work I was given right after lunch .......on the job posession of a brand new Nissan 50 Platinum II forklift. I had been previously informed it was to be my assigned lift. So far it has been a nightmare to me. My former lift was the oldest most beat up one in the place ............A Nissan 50 Optimum somewhere around ten years old I think. The new one is giving me a fit learning how to operate it efficiently. It is a much faster and more effective lift.....but I cant seem to adapt fast enough to the newer digital technology and electronic contols or the three stick hydraulic controls after using the older two stick controls and mechanical linkage to run it as effective as I think I can. Anybody got any words of wisdom here?

(Edit) I am also terrified of scratching the damned thing. Jeez they are expensive!

[chicof100]

That might be the "Words of wisdom" Scratch it! get it over with. Your fear of getting a scratch is holding you back from learning or even mastering this lift. Gt the scratch, then fear nothing and learn it. Or take it in a wide open area for some fun, learn it become one with it, and you'll be fine.

[averagef250]

10 years old is old?

My Hyster monotrol was built in the 60's. It operates under the "pin it to win it" procedure.

[AlleyCat]

Just be patient and you'll get the hang of it. Years ago I adopted the idea of learning to drive anything and it's done well for me. At my regular job I use both Nissan and Cat forklifts. The Nissan is a few years old and has all of the modern warning systems and interlocks. The Cat has a gasoline Perkins engine and a 12,000 lb mast. I'm guessing it to be about 20 years old. At my 2nd job I use a Cat 40 and a Cat 55. Both are prolly 30 or more years old. The 55 is old enough that it has a 2 speed manual trans. In addition to the old forklifts I also operate articulating highlifts with forks. They have 1 New Holland, 3 John Deeres, 4 Kawasakis and 3 Fiat-Allis machines. None of them have the same controls so you learn to adapt pretty quick.

[Mancar1]

Loosen up and go with the flow. It will be old hat before you know.

[TNIceWolf]

Just be patient and you'll get the hang of it. Years ago I adopted the idea of learning to drive anything and it's done well for me. At my regular job I use both Nissan and Cat forklifts. The Nissan is a few years old and has all of the modern warning systems and interlocks. The Cat has a gasoline Perkins engine and a 12,000 lb mast. I'm guessing it to be about 20 years old. At my 2nd job I use a Cat 40 and a Cat 55. Both are prolly 30 or more years old. The 55 is old enough that it has a 2 speed manual trans. In addition to the old forklifts I also operate articulating highlifts with forks. They have 1 New Holland, 3 John Deeres, 4 Kawasakis and 3 Fiat-Allis machines. None of them have the same controls so you learn to adapt pretty quick.

Yeah.......I know. I have been sitting in a drivers seat of a lift most of my civilian working career. This one makes me nervous because it's the very first brand new one I ever drove. The company went to the extreme of including me during the purchase process and made sure i knew the reasons and cost behind spending the money and made it clear that it was to be my lift only. Never had a company do something like that before.... so I want to make sure their confidence in my skill is warranted and that I dont overly damage their investment and at the same time get the most out of their investment in the machine. It is getting better though. Friday I managed to fully load a 53 foot trailer in only nine minuites.Thats about three minuites faster than I could with my old lift. And I managed to do it without rubbing the trailer wall. Will feel more comfortable when the owner does his weekly visit and walkaround on Monday and I get to speak to him again. Am pretty sure he is going to tell me ....Damn the paint.....make the money....LOL

[PhantomoftheBumpside]

Anyone ever beat up their new truck bed with a chain just to get it over with?

[AlleyCat]

Anyone ever beat up their new truck bed with a chain just to get it over with?

I've never owned a new truck to do it to.

[70shortbox]

We have a 1964 Towmotor bought at an army auction about 20 years ago. I wouldn't trade for anything except maybe a new one just like it.

[Swegner99]

Anyone ever beat up their new truck bed with a chain just to get it over with?

I dont have to do that, I always have line-x sprayed prior to purchase. That way it will stay looking new forever

[OldRedFord]

We have a pair of Komatsu 25 forklifts at the mill. Pretty handy. Often times we grab one and a pallet and you have a instant portable work bench.

[70_F100]

I just held a recertification class for seven of our lift truck operators yesterday.

Six of the seven passed the written test with flying colors , and one flunked it BAD .

Thing is, the one that flunked it has been a lift truck operator at this facility for over 20 years, and is the only one of the seven that is on a forklift full-time . And before anyone asks, yes, he can read just fine .

What makes it even more ironic, the questions he missed were related to all of the things he does wrong .

He gets one more chance to pass the test on Monday, and if he flunks this time, I'm pulling his license . I'm not going to leave him on a brand-new Nissan lift if he can't/won't learn and follow the rules.

[Swegner99]

I have never been forkilift certified, also never been on a lift full time. Most employers just said if OSHA or anybody was around then dont operate the thing. I imagine the certification test is like most other tests.... Common sense, safety related questions? Am I wrong in assuming that?

[70_F100]

The questions are mostly common sense, but there are some that deal with OSHA regs and some that have to be specific to the facility in which the unit is operated and the lift attachments that are installed. Still, if you look at it overall, they do tend to all be common sense, and the test I put together is all multiple choice, which makes it that much easier.

Actually, I put together a training manual for the recert, gave a copy of it to the front-desk receptionist to read over and study, then gave her a copy of the test (she only took about an hour to study the manual). I did this as a control to make sure that the manual covered everything on the test. Having never even been close to a lift truck, she scored 90%, so I'm comfortable that the training materials are good.

When people who are certified, but don't ever run a lift, can all do better than 85%, there's a problem with the full-time operator who can only score 65%. Makes you wonder how much he wants his job...

[Ranchero50]

Yep, we get recertified annually. Open book test and 1990's video...

We run new Toys as needed, mostly for rigging and pulling stuff off pallet racks