How do you operate a forklift?

Answer 1

There are several types of forklifts... you could be referring to a typical warehouse forklift, a truck mounted forklift, or even a front end loader or skidster with a fork attachment. Generally, on a regular forklift, there will be three levers to the right of the steering wheel - one will raise the forks up and down, one will tilt the forks back or forwards, and one will move the forks left or right. A truck mounted forklift will also have levers to raise and lower the stabilizer feet and to extend the forks out.

Whenever you have an object on the forks, you want the forks tilted back. You also want to keep the load as low to the ground as possible when the forklift is in motion. Whenever you stop and dismount the forklift, the forks should be lowered to the ground and the parking brake engaged.

Those are just some basics - if you really want to learn this, find a place that'll teach you on-the-job. Learning the basic operation of a forklift is simple, but it's learning technique which is important, and that's not going to be learned by simply reading about it.