There’s a job being advertised locally driving a reach stacker. Out of idle curiosity has anyone ever driven one, does it take long to learn how to drive one and is driving one any good as a job?
A friend of mine does it down DIRFT. If he can do it then anyone can.
toonsy:
A friend of mine does it down DIRFT. If he can do it then anyone can.
That’s where it’s advertised, DIRFT. Driving a reach stacker and shunting container trains with a locomotive. Any idea of what sort of money he’s on?
It’s more a confidence thing. You’re throwing around a 115 tonne machine in confined spaces, picking a 40ft box of a 5 high stack without knowing where the c of g is (and it can be way off-think of a full weight box of waste paper with nothing in the last 8 foot!). It can be monotonous - it’s only when it goes wrong is it exciting 
. You are basically doing the same thing day in day out-box on box off, dig this box out of this stack of 40 and keep track of what you do with the ones you move.
On the other hand it’s not difficult, not too physical and normally quite clean and dry.
I don’t think I could have done it full time-a shift was about my limit but whatever floats your boat.
Harry Monk:
toonsy:
A friend of mine does it down DIRFT. If he can do it then anyone can.That’s where it’s advertised, DIRFT. Driving a reach stacker and shunting container trains with a locomotive. Any idea of what sort of money he’s on?
He does some form of restating shift days/lates/nights back to days/latest nights etc so “averaged out” or salaried or however you want to describe it, he gets about £11 an hour.
That’s fairly normal shift pattern. Don’t know about money as I only did it as relief driver for regular stackers whilst driving for company.
Harry if you have used hiabs or diggers or similar you won’t find it too difficult as the controls have the same feel and that is half the battle.
Good luck.
I haven’t but my mate does on North Sea Ferries in Hull.
I drove a frame truck with empty boxes when I was 15/16
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Driving a stacker truck at DIRFT it sounds like a Stobarts job, what could possibly go wrong??
Our old fleet engineer used to use the 70t stacker in the yard no problem at all, despite being blind in one eye so having no depth perception whatsoever! 
Having been on the receiving end of stacker drivers as well I don’t think any have any depth perception 
I do, have done for 3 years and I used to drive 8 leggers so if I can then anyone can!
Those you’ve pictured are empty handlers by the looks of the size of the spreader and the tyres. Same principle to driving them just without the arse nipping moments of putting an end-heavy 45 footer up 4 high.
They drive like a fork truck crossed with a telehandler really, just be aware of your back end swinging out and you’ll need eyes everywhere to avoid other traffic who feel they are more important than you…