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Good cold day from Texas everyone, Marty here with Warehouse and Operations as a Career. I hope everyone’s warm and safe. I was asked this afternoon why forklift drivers thought they were all that. I replied because they are! At least in their own mind. Have you ever noticed how Jeep drivers nod or discretely wave to each other when meeting in opposite directions? Or may be how motorcycle drivers offer up a straight left are and maybe a little finger wave when they meet on opposite lanes? There part of a unique club. It’s the same thing with forklift operators.
The person that had brought it up had ran across a few forklift operator social sites and was taken back by how much merchandise, shirts, mugs, jackets and such that could be bought. They could not believe how many sites there were for starters and then honestly shocked by how many members those groups had. And then they got started on the memes, they couldn’t believe there were forklift groups for just posting forklift memes.
Most forklift operators do have years of experience under there belt, but, for the most part. I find them to be a great bunch of guys and gals that are willing to share that knowledge and help us new boots out. When we ask properly and are wanting to do a good job!
You’re always hearing me talk about teamwork and taking care of our peers. I think all warehouse men and women think there all that, and they should! If we learned nothing else over the last 12 months or so is that warehousing, and transportation are two of the real essential jobs and talents. There is so many more to. Our healthcare professionals, first responders, restaurant and retail task. I’m proud that all these groups have finally been recognized for what they do. I think a little bit of were all that is due us right!
I know were joking around a little bit but think about it. We all are striving to be the best of the best. Doesn’t a little swagger go along with being that best? I know people in every position throughout the warehouse. I love hearing the utility guy talking about his or her day, and the sanitation department talking about what all everyone messed up for them today. They both have such passion for their jobs and they don’t mind telling you how good they are at it! Then of course you have the unloaders and loaders, the pallet runners, receivers, putaway and replenishment fork operators, those productivity groups have no problem pointing out who’s on top for the week! And lets not forget about the truck drivers. Definitely a breed of their own, and rightfully so. Of course your typical over the road driver is the daily decision maker, the CEO of his or her load. And the route or delivery driver, well, he or she is the president of the company when on their routes. At least in the customers eyes! They are asked and sometimes held accountable for everything. Misships, short on trucks, pricing, even a salesman error, things like missing credits or pack size problems. A driver hears it all, and the good ones are quick to have an answer. Even if that answer is something like, I am not sure about that, let me check it out and have someone get back with you. Presidential right!
We are all that good, and I say lets let everyone know it. There’s nothing wrong with that, as long as we remember that WE are a team and there is no I in our team!
After asking a few questions as to why she had been looking at all the forklift social groups come to find out she was about to be promoted to a stocker at her facility. She’d be hauling product from the front docks and storing it, or putting it away, into the reserve system. She was super excited. She’d been working at the company for about 2 years and they had been training and working with her for about 6 months on a counterbalance sit down lift. She’d been told she was doing great and the promotion was hers!
Now, hearing all that I had to point out, look at you. The first thing you did was go to find forklift operator groups on social media. And that’s fine, you want to be a part of that group and you’ve earned it. I’ve always felt like a little competition and friendly sarcasm is healthy in the workplace. Again, as long as we remember WE are part of a much bigger team.
Ok, enough of all that, I think we answered the thought. Since we are talking about the sitdown, I have another quick story to share.
Now, if you’ve driven a counterbalance lift you know it’s a bit different that the standup models. The way you sit a pallet down in the rack and how the mast tilts with the forks vs the forks tilting with the pallet. I think the hardest thing for me to teach through is the difference in turning. The counterbalance is just that much different than the way we operate a standup reach. Our setup, approach, and planning for the placement requires us to have entirely different focus points. I enjoy operating all forklifts but the sitdown, at least the light industrial versions, I feel the most one with!
Anyway, I brought all that up because I was interviewing an individual last week for a position that he would be using a sit-down lift, oh say about, 30 percent of the time. His resume and work history showed he was very much qualified on the reach lift and rider electric pallet jack but I hadn’t seen anything regarding experience with the sit-down. The recruiters shared he had mentioned that he had operated one but it’d been a long time ago. I sat down with the gentlemen, ran through his experiences, and I was quite impressed with how he interviewed, until I brought up his history, or lack of history I should say, with the counterbalance! I was glad he came clean and shared that he had exaggerated to the recruiter earlier, that actually he’d never operated one but he was sure he could pick it up quick, that he was a fast learner.
Those are famous last words. I am a fast learner. And you know, I think their great words if we throw them out there at the beginning of our interview. Think of it this way. If I had not been interviewing for this position, and the recruiter had taken him at his word and hired him. Look at all the wasted time, his time, and the money both parties would have wasted once he was placed on the sit-down lift during his PIT observation. It had already been explained that at least 30% of this job required operating a sit-down lift. Even if we as applicants get through the screening and hiring process, where powered industrial equipment is involved, we are going to be observed by out PIT trainer.
And just to throw in another two cents worth of an opinion! There is no quickly catching on to operating a counterbalance forklift. Practice and experience makes perfect!
I understand that we all have to be given the chance to get that experience. And its out there. But we have to be up front about it. The gentlemen was hired and they can work with him, teaching him how to safely operate it. I’m excited for his new position and he has assured his new employer he understands, in this profession, there is no place for I’m a quick learner!
Well, we’ll wrap this week up with those thoughts. Its been a hard week across the country weather wise, we here at WAOC hope your all warm and your families are safe!