Make a forklift license - information & costs for the forklift driver's license

• function
• construction
  • The mast
• Various stacker types
• Staplerschein
  • Key data
• emergency measures
  • Daily checks
  • The official training video for forklift drivers
• The costs at a glance
• Meaningful upgrade: The crane certificate
• Special case: telescopic loader
• Tips for quick readers

The forklift license is one of the fastest and cheapest ways to earn a professional qualification. In an application, however, he can give the decisive rash for a commitment. Read all in this guide what you need to know about driving license for forklift truck.

Absolutely necessary "> Function

A forklift is used to transport palletized general cargo within the factory premises of a company. Picking up delivered cargo, storing it in, supplying it to production facilities and loading the final packaged product are the main tasks of forklifts. Through various attachments, the stacker can be extended in its functionality. These include, for example, work baskets with which employees can be lifted to high-altitude workplaces. Bale handlers are used in agriculture for loading straw and hay bales. The accessory trade also offers sweeping and cleaning equipment for attachment to a forklift. That makes these devices very versatile.

construction

The term "stacker" is generally understood to mean the "forklift". These had their origins in converted tractors. Her rear lift was expanded by a pair of pliers and the driver's seat turned around - the first forklift was ready. To this basic principle has not changed for normal universal stacker until today. The normal configuration of a forklift today includes:

• Hydraulically operated hoist on the front
• Big, rigid front wheels
• Small, steerable rear wheels
• Engine plus counterweight at the rear

As technical components you will find in every truck:

• A drive motor (optional electric, diesel or gas drive)
• A generator for the power supply, mainly for the signal system
• A hydraulic unit for the work tools

The mast

The lifting mast is the central tool with which the truck can do its job. The mast has the following functions:

• Tilting at an angle of about 15 ° out of the box
• Stroke of the tool carrier
• Optional: turning the tool carrier
• Optional: Hydraulic adjustment of the tine width on the tool carrier

The mast is tiltable designed to better absorb loads and possibly also to handle bulk container. Here are the masts with rotatable tool carrier particularly well suited.

Various stacker types

From the converted tractors 70 years ago today a huge selection of universal and special forklifts has emerged. In the basic configuration, forklifts are already available in many different working sizes. The smallest forklifts of this type are universal electric forklifts. They have only one rear wheel and are therefore very manoeuvrable. The largest forklifts of this type are found in heavy industry, especially in foundries. The vehicles used there can take on huge proportions. In addition, the manufacturers offer an enormous range of special types of these vehicles. Above all, the warehouse industry has a particularly high demand for various truck models.

Today there are:

• Reach truck: Compact forklift trucks without rear weight
• Order picker: forklift with hoist at the rear
• Narrow aisle truck: forklift with a hoist whose tool is rotated by 90 °
• Pallet Trucks: Ants that can pick up and transport loads but can not lift up
• Stackers: Ants with mast
• Sideloader: forklift with side-mounted lift mast and large loading area. Ideal for long goods
• Man-up forklifts: forklifts where the driver's cab is raised together with the tool carrier
• Telehandler: Stacker with a telescopic lifting mechanism

It is already demanding enough to establish an apprenticeship that covers all of these truck types. However, if you have the requirements to purchase a forklift license, training can be acquired with little money and two days' use.

Staplerschein

Although many companies still rely on in-house training, a stacker's license is of great advantage.

The problem with the in-house acquired license for a forklift truck is that it is only valid within the operation. It is not transferable. Without an officially acquired driver's license for industrial trucks, the forklift license must be purchased again and again in every company. That costs the companies a lot of money. With a brought forklift license and official certificate, an employee can be used immediately. In view of the low costs and the short training period, a forklift license is therefore one of the fastest and cheapest ways to get a permanent job.

Key data

In order to be able to make a forklift license, health aspects are especially important. The minimum age is 18 years for driving an industrial truck. The use of younger drivers can make a company liable to prosecution.

A car driver's license is contrary to popular belief for the purchase of the forklift license is not necessary. It may be helpful to a limited extent to more quickly develop a general feel for the vehicle. Basically, the driver's license for the forklift license is not necessary.

But where no compromises are made, the health conditions. In addition to the general constitution, great importance is attached to perfect vision. Wearing glasses is unproblematic. However, the aspirant must pass an eye test comparable to that for acquiring a car driver's license. In addition, the medical examination also includes a hearing test. The costs amount to about 30 - 80 euros for this preliminary investigation.

The actual training lasts two days. The s are:

• Construction of a forklift
• Safe handling of the forklift
• test drives
• Instructions for emergencies

Many institutes also give detailed information about the costs of a forklift and its individual components. Even though these vehicles are ubiquitous, they always represent a high value that must be treated with care.

The focus is on the safe handling of the truck. A forklift truck can only drive a maximum of 25 km / h. But this is enough to cause severe damage to the environment and people. A forklift behaves completely differently than a car. For one, he is steered at the stern. That makes him very agile in a small space. Turning at higher speeds makes the truck unstable quickly. This is also because the truck has a fairly high center of gravity. Here, the loaded load on the mast is a particularly critical factor: the higher the load is lifted, the more unstable the truck will be while driving. When braking, the truck can already overturn or tilt over to the front.

A particular problem with a forklift truck is its poor visibility. Forward visibility is blocked by the mast and by the charged load. That's why a loaded forklift usually drives backwards. But then the driver must always be careful that the charged load does not hang anywhere. The load must always be kept in mind. Especially long material that is not fixed on pallets tends to slip off the tines easily.

The handling of a forklift must therefore be practiced intensively. The damage caused by improper handling of a forklift can quickly go into the millions.

emergency measures

A forklift always tends to tip over when it turns too fast. The forklift school also explains in this case how to behave properly. In fact, most unskilled forklift drivers get hurt because of this: They behave wrongly if their vehicle is overthrown. The trick to survive a fall from a truck as safely as possible is to hold on and tip over with the vehicle. The prescribed roll cages are designed so sturdy on forklifts that the passenger compartment remains intact. Multiple flashovers as in a car stunt are not expected in a truck. However, unskilled drivers often try to jump out of the truck during tipping and are injured by the roll bar or worse.

Daily checks

The forklift school also teaches the basics of daily maintenance of a forklift truck. Many companies also dictate this and make a driver personally liable if the vehicle fails due to lack of controls. This includes the daily control of the oil level, the hydraulic system and the cooling water. A leak on a valve or hose can quickly disable a whole operation. A fancy forklift as well, especially when only a few vehicles are in use in one operation. In heavy industry, the permanent operational readiness of all vehicles is particularly important. A blast furnace can never be shut down. If the equipment fails, millions of dollars of damage to the operation are the result very quickly.

The official training video for forklift drivers

The costs at a glance

The costs for a forklift license are summarized:

• 30 - 80 euros for the preliminary medical examination
• 130 - 150 Euro for the two-day training including examination fee
• about 20 euros for issuing the driver's license

The driver's license for the forklift can also be entered in the normal driver's license. But there are additional costs.

Meaningful upgrade: The crane certificate

In addition to the forklift license, the institutes also offer a driver's license for operating cranes. At the latest when the crane is operated with its own pulpit, such a crane license is necessary. Many institutes already offer combined training in which both skills can be acquired simultaneously. In any case, no additional medical certificate is required for the acquisition of the crane license. For this reason alone, it is worthwhile to complete both training courses at the same time.

The costs and learning for acquiring the crane certificate are similar to those of the forklift license. With a maximum of 200 euros one is there and has an additional, valuable certificate for the next application.

Special case: telescopic loader

Although a telehandler can also be used for loading palletized general cargo, it is not considered an industrial truck. A telehandler is classified as a construction vehicle. The purchase of a special driver's license for telehandlers is not yet completely compulsory. Since April 2016, however, a corresponding provision with a transitional period of two years has come into force.

In order to be able to move a telehandler safely, the purchase of the construction vehicle driving license, generally called the "Baggerschein", is recommended. For this purpose, the institutes and also the manufacturers offer training that only relates to the telehandler. Practical and only marginally more expensive is the complete construction machine driver's license. This includes the telehandler as well as the wheel loader or the excavator. The training lasts five days and entitles you to drive all construction vehicles, including telescopic loaders. However, the "big construction machine driver's license" has its price: With approximately 1000 euro one must count on the acquisition of this certificate. The forklift driver's license is included in the official "driving license L class". The 200 Euro fee for the "small forklift license" can thus be saved.
However, considering the cost of obtaining a license, which is only valid for telehandlers, then this price relativized again: For newcomers to this technique, up to 540 euros in fees are estimated. Here it is really worth considering to make the general driver's license. You can never have enough qualifications.

Qualification as the key to professional success

The forklift license is one of the fastest and cheapest ways to get a qualifying qualification. This small and inexpensive certificate can act as a door opener. It is particularly interesting that it can be expanded and expanded well: With a crane and digging permit you get meaningful additions, which can increase your own job opportunities many times over.

Tips for quick readers

• Costs for a forklift license: approx. 200 euros
• Costs for a Baggerschein: Approx .: 1000 Euro
• The Baggerschein (class L) also entitles you to drive a forklift truck
• For the telehandler a dredging note is necessary