Stand Up Forklift – If you read our previous blog on Sit Down Forklifts, then you may know sit down forklifts are one of the most common types of forklifts students train and obtain their forklift certification on – when first entering the industry. Reason being, this counterbalanced, sit down forklift is versatile, comfortable, entails a safer design, creates a marketable certification, and is straightforward to operate. If you are not familiar with the sit down forklift, it’s the type of forklift most people instinctively imagine when thinking of a forklift.
That said, as previously stated, the more types of forklifts you are trained and certified in, the more marketable you will be in the forklift industry and the greater opportunities you will find in your forklift career. Accordingly, we suggest learning and becoming certified on the stand up forklift as well
The stand up forklift is significantly increasing in popularity among such employers as Home Depot and Lowe’s, as well as beverage distributors (i.e. beer, wine, soda, water, etc…), food distributors, grocery stores, and establishments with light manufacturing and basic warehousing.
In fact, an increasing number of companies are updating their forklifts and utilizing stand up forklifts instead. The benefits of these forklifts are multitude, but it includes such reasons as they are shorter, thus requiring less space to maneuver – making them a great option when needing to operate a forklift down narrow aisles.
So what are stand up forklifts?
Well, stand up forklifts, also known as stand on, are forklifts which you operate while standing, as opposed to sitting. They have a gas pedal to accelerate, a brake pedal to stop, and an all-in-one lever to control the forks.
They are designed for settings where the forklift operator is required to frequently hop on and off the forklift. Surprisingly to many, they are approximately six inches shorter than sit down forklifts, but they do offer better visibility as the forklift operator traditionally has a sideways stance. Generally speaking, these forklifts are comprised of long forks in the front, which slide under the subject load, to lift and safely transport. Some stand up forklifts also have the ability to grip onto the edges of the load for increased stability and ease of access.
In addition to increasing your marketability as a forklift operator, the stand up forklift comes with many benefits. First, studies have shown that forklift operators operating a stand up forklift, as opposed to the sit down forklift, are more alert – therefore improving productivity, efficiency, and safety.
Second, stand up forklifts are more maneuverable and require less space to operate compared to the sit down forklift; for some, making it an easier forklift to drive.
Moreover, although the forklift operator is required to stand on the stand up forklift, as opposed to sit, these forklifts are known to cause reduced neck strains.
They are also known to save time to operate, as the operator neither needs to fasten and unfasten their seat belt each time they get on and off the forklift, nor do they have to set the parking brakes.
Again, we are not stating to obtain your stand up forklift as opposed to your sit down forklift, but we are stating that if you are looking to increase your marketability as a forklift operator, then in addition to obtaining your sit down forklift certification, you should earn your stand up forklift certification due to its rise in necessity in this industry.
If you have questions, or would like to learn more, please give us a call at: (323) 620-7000.