Frequently Asked Questions

Forklift course price can vary depending on course location (on customer sites or off-site, for instance at our training centre) CB Training offer refresher courses from as little as £175 and novice forklift courses on request.

A novice candidate undergoing forklift training will require a minimum of 3-5 full days of training. Refresher training requires 1 working day. Here at CB Training we will advise on the length of training you or your employees will require.

The price for our forklift truck training courses in the UK ranges from £175 + VAT. Here at CB Training we can provide reduced rates and highly competitive prices once we know your specific requirements.

Operator training: The 3 stages we provide at CB Training are:
So what are the stages of operator training? CB Training provides these 3 stages of training
• Basic Operator Training.
• Specific Job Training.
• Familiarisation Training.

Find out what the average Forklift Driver salary, average forklift driver salary varies however you can expect £12.50 per hour upwards as you gain more experience and more qualification.

The forklift truck practical test is designed to be fairly difficult and ultimately is there to ensure maximum safety in the workplace for both operators and others in proximity however with the correct training and tuition provided by CB Training you have the highest percentage of passing.

This can depend on what you are looking to achieve and the budget you have for training. The quickest and easiest course would be one of the order pickers and or pallet trucks however here at CB Training we would recommend training in this order to gain the best training experience, value for money and great job prospects.
• Counterbalance forklift
• Reach forklift
• Bendi / Flexi Forklift

We would recommend looking at the bigger picture of starting within a business and progressing up to management. We have many contacts who came to us here at CB Training for an operators course years ago and who are now in charge of large warehouse distributions centres, managing directors of warehouses and high standard forklift instructors. Invest in yourself, work hard and reap the rewards.

Typically three years
Unlike a driving licence, forklift certificates don’t actually run out. However, it is a recommendation by the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) that all forklift operators take a refresher course. This is down to the employers discretion and usually no longer than every three years.

No, there is no requirement to have a driving licence to learn to drive a forklift.

Most employers will allow their employees to retake this test after they failed at least once or twice. However, some companies are less lenient and require their employees to be able to complete certain tasks before allowing them into certification training or testing.

Becoming a forklift operator is a good job for people who have no wish to continue their education and want to get the right to work to start making money. It is also a good job for people who do not do well in an office or retail environment and want to perform some physical labor as part of their work. As above forklift driving can be the start of something big in your carrier and can lead to management job prospects and opportunities.

Here at CB Training we provide our training and testing to ITSSAR standards which typically allows forklift operators 35 minutes to complete various operating abilities including manoeuvring, stacking and de-stacking of loads. You are advised of the full test beforehand which is not a memory test, our instructors at CB Training talk you through the test segments stage by stage giving you the best possibility of passing whilst conducting the test to the National required standards.

Earning a forklift certification isn’t overly difficult, and it usually only takes one day to do a refresher course and 3-5 days for a novice course. Not to mention, it’s an easy way to earn higher starting pay and stand out when applying for warehouse job opportunities.

There are 3 types of test to pass a forklift course

1: pre-operational test, this is where you carry out checks on the machine to ensure it is safe to use within the workplace.
2: written theory test, this is 25 questions, 20 of which are multiply choice, 5 of which are written.
3: practical driving test, this includes manoeuvring the forklift truck, stacking and de-stacking normally within a racking system or other stacking applications such as bulk stacking

CB Training provide all the training both theory and practical for you to be able to pass all the testing required.

B1 accreditation allows for the use of machines up to 5,000kgs, B2 means you can operate machines from 5,000kgs to 15,000kgs, and B3 means anything over 15,000kgs falls under your remit. CB Training provides all of these truck qualifications however the large machine only on clients sites.

Forklift courses for a Novice drivers. Your practical time will include the basics of operating a forklift, lifting and depositing loads in racking, navigating through a designated chicane that is decided to test your driving skills and general driving and steering plus many more operational practices to get you ready for a working environment. Here at CB Training we work with you especially with the classroom, theory training to help

The following types of forklift will require separate training courses:
• Industrial Reach Forklift Truck.
• Telescopic Handler Forklift.
• Rough Terrain Forklift.
• Pedestrian Operated Pallet Trucks.
• Industrial Side Loader Forklifts.
• Industrial Counterbalance Forklifts.

Lift truck operators should be over the minimum school leaving age (MSLA), except in ports where they must be at least 18 years old.

Refresher courses take up to 1 working day of training time (based on a 7.5-hour shift).

It might be a good idea to wear the clothes that you would typically wear within your workplace, so you learn in a similar environment and feel that you will work in the future.

Courses should be long enough to meet the requirements of Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 of the L117 ACOP (typically 3-5 days).

There is a big shortage of forklift truck drivers, much like the case with HGVs – so the entire logistics industry is suffering from just about every angle at the moment

These are the most common types of forklift however please feel free to contact one of the CB Training team for a full list of forklift categories
A – Pallets Trucks
B – Counterbalance forklift trucks
D – Reach Trucks
E – Order pickers
F- VNA Verry narrow aisle trucks
J – Rough Terrain forklift trucks
P – Pivot steer forklift trucks (bendi-flexi trucks)
T – Moffett Mounty Transportable forklift trucks normally on Lorries

A forklift can become unstable, even if it does not have a load. For example, if a driver turns too fast around a sharp curve, their lift can tip. Or, if a driver is traveling on an unbalanced surface, their lift can tip if it shifts too far in one direction.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) publication Use Lift Trucks Safely (INDG457) states: ‘Never use mobile phones or other hand-held devices while operating or travelling.

Speaking of the speed controls, many lifts come equipped with a third pedal. Aside from the standard acceleration and brake pedals, this is called the inching brake. The inching brake allows precise control of the lift speed without impacting the forklift drive.

When parking a forklift, you should lower the forks and carriage until the forks touch the ground. The rear portion of the forks will make contact with the ground first. You should also make sure the forks are facing toward a wall and facing away from where someone could trip or drive over them.

System of Active Stability
System of Active Stability (SAS) works by continually monitoring the forklift’s operations and automatically taking protective action when needed. This was all implemented on most Toyota forklifts in 1999 in order to protect operators in potentially hazardous situations

The point of balance on a forklift is called the fulcrum. The fulcrum is where a vertical line drawn through the centre of the front axle would meet the ground. An easy way to remember this is the fulcrum is where the front wheels touch the ground.

If you work with forklift trucks, chances are you’ve seen them – blue lights that project a dot or an arrow on the ground. We commonly call these ‘safety lights’ because they are designed to make the area around a forklift truck safer.