Hi all I have recently become a forklift truck operator. Just wandering from your points of view as lorry drivers is it acceptable for the mast of the flt to bump slightly against the side of the lorry when unloading. The reason I ask is that I have to unload some tomorow for the first time?
Hi mate
I hold a FLT licence and at end of day in yard, was unloading an arctic as there Was no loads left for my lorry. I slightly (a tad) touch the side of the trailer bed, but i dont slam into it. I think it depends what load your picking up.
If you have no choice, then What can you do unless you have a boom to extend, otherWise id say just get as close as you can. Its not ideal to touch it, but im not a full time FLT operator, and the usual guys have no probs.
However, so long as you dont “bash” the side of the lorry/trailer, i cant see it being a problem. Just dont damage it. But as i said above, its prob best if you can avoid it, but not end of the World.
Main thing is that your SAFE, and TAKE YOUR TIME . If your newly passed, then its like everything, its all neW.
If people are hurrying you up, just go at the pace you feel most comfortable with. With time comes experiance and confidence.
Ben
Hi mate
Most drivers wont bother to much but the best way is to put the pallet on the trailer as far as you can drop the folks then come out about 6/8 ‘’ pick it up a little and push it on …like BigFoot says mate just take your time and be safe 
…i sure once you have put a few pallets on you will be an old hand at it …just remember that you will have to put pallets on the other side so dont push them to far in if they are heavy or you wont be able to push the other side in past the side .(curtain) 
best of luck
Regards Roy
If they’re ‘tall’ or double stacked pallets don’t get carried away raising them 
(I once damaged the roof offloading wheelie bins on a brand new Brian Yeardly c/s). Definitely don’t bang into tail lifts, £4k was the last repair on one of ours.
Thanx for the advice guys. I will be mostly unloading pallets of chips and other frozen items from 3663 trucks and pallets of soft drinks and water from khune and nagel trucks. But I will also have to help out another department and unload their soft toys etc. Was just worried about going into the truck/trailer to hard and damaging it but hopefully all will be ok. 
Do what i do sometimes…let the driver get back in his cab. wait till he’s pouring his flask then bang, all in good fun
as a driver with flt licence for occasional use AND being OLD !i.e. been in zillion of yards, here is my (unworthy?) advice> IF YOU THINK THE DRIVER OWNS THE RIG ?BE EXTRA CAREFUL !! U can see his point i m sure.
just slightly bang it , or pull the load forward slightly over the edge then lift it off, personally most forkies bang em anyhow aslong as you dont take the mick and slam the side of the wagon , 
you also risk damaging the fork truck as well. Get as near as you can and go from there, if you can get it mostly on/off without touching then do that, pull the pallet a bit to you and then readjust.
If its his truck treat it like a baby, even if its a shed, as its his to break
iain
ive never known a forkie to be gentle …