Load Handling & Capacity

Where on a forklift truck will you find the rated capacity and the load centre at which it applies?

• AOnly in the manufacturer's head office records, which the operator cannot access
• BOn the operator's photo ID card
• COn the data (capacity) plate fitted to the truck✓
• DPrinted on the underside of each fork

Answer: The data plate (capacity plate) displays the truck's rated capacity, the load centre distance it is based on, and other key information such as mast height. Operators must read it and never exceed the stated capacity.

A standard load centre figure used on many forklift capacity plates is measured from the front face of the forks to the centre of gravity of the load. A common value is:

• A2000 mm
• B5 mm
• C50 mm
• D500 mm✓

Answer: Capacity ratings are commonly based on a 500 mm load centre, meaning the load's centre of gravity sits 500 mm from the heel of the forks. If a load's centre is further out, the safe capacity is reduced.

If the centre of gravity of a load is further from the fork heel than the rated load centre, what happens to the truck's safe lifting capacity?

• AIt doubles automatically
• BIt is increased
• CIt stays exactly the same
• DIt is reduced✓

Answer: A load centre greater than the rated value increases the forward leverage on the front axle, so the truck's safe capacity falls below the plate figure. Operators must use the load chart or seek guidance for long or bulky loads.

What is the correct way to pick up a palletised load with the forks?

• ALift the load with the forks tilted fully forward
• BPick the load up on the very tips of the forks only
• CUse one fork to slide the pallet along the floor
• DInsert the forks fully under the load, spread to suit the pallet, with the load resting against the fork backs✓

Answer: Forks should be spread as wide as the pallet allows and inserted fully so the load rests back against the fork shanks, spreading the weight correctly. Lifting on the fork tips overloads the tips and makes the load unstable.

What must an operator do before lifting a load they have not handled before?

• AAssume it is within capacity if it fits on a standard pallet and looks normal
• BLift it a few centimetres and judge from how the truck feels whether it is safe
• CEstablish its weight and check it against the truck's data plate or load chart✓
• DCheck that the load is no taller than the operator's own eye level when seated

Answer: The data plate is only useful if you know what you are lifting. Test-lifting to see how it feels is not a method — by the time the truck tells you, the rear wheels are already light. Pallet size tells you nothing about weight: a pallet of paper and a pallet of tiles look much the same and are nowhere near the same load.

The weight of a load cannot be established. What should the operator do?

• ALift it with the load centre kept as short as possible to create a safety margin
• BLift it slowly, and stop immediately if the rear wheels start to feel light
• CNot lift it until the weight is known and confirmed as within capacity✓
• DLift it using a second truck alongside to share the weight between them

Answer: If you cannot establish the weight you cannot know whether you are inside the truck's capacity, so the lift does not happen until someone finds out. Waiting for the truck to warn you means waiting for the point at which it is already becoming unstable. Tandem lifting is a specialised planned operation, not an improvised way round an unknown weight.

A pallet is damaged, with broken boards and a split bearer. What should the operator do?

• ALift it from the opposite side, so the forks avoid the damaged bearer
• BLift it slowly and carefully, keeping it as close to the ground as possible
• CNot lift it — report it so the load can be re-palletised safely✓
• DLift it and place it immediately in the nearest available rack location

Answer: A damaged pallet can collapse under load or as it is lifted, dropping the load onto whatever — or whoever — is below. It is also unstable in a rack, where a collapse can take the level with it. The answer is to stop and get the load transferred to a sound pallet, not to find a clever way of lifting a broken one.

Why must a load rest back against the fork carriage or backrest?

• AIt keeps the load centre as rated and stops the load tipping back towards the operator✓
• BIt stops the pallet from sliding forward off the fork tips whenever the truck brakes hard
• CIt reduces wear on the forks by spreading the weight of the load along their full length
• DIt is required so the load can be seen clearly over the top of the mast

Answer: Two things at once. Resting the load back keeps its centre of gravity close to the rated load centre, so the capacity figure on the plate still applies. And the backrest stops anything toppling backwards toward the operator when the mast is tilted back or the truck brakes. A load carried on the fork tips does neither.

A load is heavier at one end than the other. How should it be placed on the forks?

• AWith the heavier end closest to the mast and backrest✓
• BWith the heavier end furthest out towards the fork tips
• CCentrally, so that the weight is evenly distributed along both forks
• DIt makes no difference, as the total weight is what determines capacity

Answer: Getting the heavy end in close keeps the load centre short, which keeps you within the plate's capacity and reduces the turning effect on the front axle. Push the heavy end out to the tips and you have effectively increased the load centre — the truck may be over its safe capacity even though the total weight is unchanged.

What is the purpose of a load backrest extension?

• ATo stop part of the load falling backwards onto the operator✓
• BTo increase the truck's rated capacity by supporting the load
• CTo protect the mast from damage when loads are pushed against it
• DTo provide a mounting point for the truck's working lights and beacon

Answer: It is a guard, not a structural part of the lifting system. When the mast tilts back, or the truck brakes, a stack of boxes or lengths of timber can topple toward the operator's compartment — the backrest extension is what stops them. It does nothing for capacity, which is fixed by the data plate.

Is it acceptable to use the forks to push or drag a load along the floor?

• AYes, as long as the forks are kept fully lowered onto the floor surface
• BYes, provided the load is too heavy to lift and the distance is short
• CNo — forks are for lifting, and pushing or dragging risks damage and instability✓
• DYes, but only when the truck is fitted with a purpose-made push-pull attachment

Answer: Pushing and dragging loads the forks and mast in directions they were never designed for, damages the floor and the load, and can snatch the truck sideways when the load catches. If the load is too heavy to lift, the answer is the right equipment, not a workaround. Push-pull is a genuine attachment, but it works with slip sheets — it is not permission to shove pallets about.

How does a long load that overhangs the forks affect the truck's safe capacity?

• AIt increases the load centre, so the safe capacity falls below the plate figure✓
• BIt has no effect at all provided the total weight is under the rated capacity figure
• CIt increases capacity, because the weight is spread over a greater length
• DIt only matters when the overhang is at the sides rather than towards the front forks

Answer: Capacity is quoted at a stated load centre, commonly 500 mm. A long load pushes its centre of gravity further from the fork heel, increasing the leverage on the front axle, so the truck can safely lift less than the plate says. The load chart — or the manufacturer — tells you how much less. Side overhang matters too, for clearance and for lateral stability.

What should be checked before placing a load into a racking location?

• AThat the location is sound and clear, and rated for the weight being placed✓
• BOnly that the load will physically fit between the beams of the location
• COnly that the location is empty, since racking is designed for any pallet
• DThat the racking has been inspected within the previous twenty-four hours

Answer: Racking has a rated capacity per beam level and it can be quietly compromised by a previous impact. Placing a load into a damaged or overloaded location risks a collapse that can take out a whole run of racking and everyone near it. Check the load notice, look at the frame and beams, and make sure nothing is protruding from the location before you commit.

How should the mast be positioned when placing a load at height in a rack?

• ATilted fully back, to keep the load secure until it is over the beams
• BAs near vertical as possible, using small, smooth control movements✓
• CTilted fully forward, so the load slides off the forks cleanly
• DIt does not matter at height, as the load is supported by the rack

Answer: At height, small movements at the mast become large movements at the load, and any tilt moves the combined centre of gravity when it is already at its highest. Keep the mast close to vertical, ease the load in, and tilt forward only slightly to release the forks once the load is supported. Sudden inputs at height are how loads are dropped and racking is struck.