How to Change Attachments on a Skid Steer or Mini Excavator

A forklift is easy to move and easy to tip, and it steers backward from everything your driving instincts expect. The first turn is where it gets you: the front swings around while the tail kicks out the other way, and suddenly you've clipped a rack you thought you were clear of. A few minutes learning the controls and that rear-wheel steering in an open space saves you from learning them the hard way with a load in the air. Here's how to run a forklift for the first time.

Before you start

In a workplace, only a trained and certified operator runs a forklift, and that responsibility is on the employer, not the rental. Get the training and the seatbelt on before anything else, since the seatbelt is what keeps you in the seat if the machine ever tips.

Do the pre-shift inspection, read the data plate for the rated capacity, and take a minute in the seat to find and work every control before you move. Start the engine seated, test the horn and brakes, and lift, lower and tilt the empty forks a few times until the motions are familiar. Read more about whether you need a license or certification to rent equipment.

The controls

A sit-down forklift splits into two sets of controls: the ones that drive it and the ones that work the mast. Driving is a steering wheel, an accelerator and a brake pedal, a direction lever for forward, neutral and reverse, and a parking brake.

The mast controls are levers or a joystick. Lift raises and lowers the forks; tilt angles the mast forward or back. Many trucks add a side-shift to nudge the forks left or right to line up on a load. Tilt back to cradle a load against the mast, tilt forward to set it down or reach into a rack. Always come to a full stop before you switch between forward and reverse, and set the direction lever to neutral whenever you pause.

It steers from the back

The single biggest surprise for a first-timer is rear-wheel steering: a forklift turns from its back wheels, so the tail swings wide. Turn the wheel and the front end pivots while the rear sweeps out the opposite way, which is the reverse of how a car behaves and the reason a forklift turns so tight.

That tail swing is what catches people. You can clip a rack, a pallet or a person with the back end while the front looks perfectly clear, so check behind and beside you before every turn, start the turn close to the inside corner, and give the rear room to come around. If you're carrying a load in reverse, remember the load swings too. Practice this in the open until it stops feeling backward, because it's the skill that separates a smooth operator from one who keeps catching the corners.

Travel low and respect the stability triangle

A forklift balances on a three-point stability triangle, its two front wheels and the pivot of the rear axle, so it tips more easily than its size suggests. The combined weight of the truck and the load has to stay inside that triangle, and it shifts toward the edge every time you accelerate, brake, turn or raise a load.

So keep the forks low, a few inches off the floor, and tilted back whenever you travel. Come to a complete stop before you raise a load, and never turn with the forks up in the air. Go at a walking pace, look in the direction you're traveling, travel in reverse if the load blocks your view, and slow down and sound the horn at corners and blind spots, with the load pointed uphill on any ramp. Read more about how to match forklift capacity to your load.

First-time habits that keep everyone safe

Seatbelt on, no riders and never lift a person on the forks. Watch for pedestrians constantly, because a warehouse or yard is full of people who assume you can see them, and from the seat of a forklift you often can't.

On rough or uneven ground the tip risk climbs fast, so slow down further and keep the load even lower. Read more about how to load and operate a forklift safely on uneven ground. When you park, lower the forks to the floor, set the direction lever to neutral, set the parking brake and shut it off.

What about insurance and damage protection?

Before operating rented equipment, contact your insurance provider to ask whether your policy covers liability for heavy equipment operation on your property or job site.

Eligible rentals booked through Big Rentals also include Basic Rental Protection at checkout. This added protection can help limit your financial responsibility for certain damage or theft events during the rental period.

For full details on how Basic Rental Protection works, including deductibles, exclusions and renter responsibilities, review our FAQ and platform terms.

The Short Version

• In a workplace, only a trained, certified operator runs a forklift; get the training and the seatbelt on first
• Learn the two control groups: drive (steering, direction lever, pedals) and mast (lift, tilt, side-shift), and always stop before switching direction
• Rear-wheel steering means the tail swings wide, the opposite way of your turn, so check behind you and give the back end room
• A forklift balances on a three-point stability triangle and tips easily, so keep the forks low and tilted back, and never turn with a raised load
• Come to a full stop before raising a load, travel in reverse when the load blocks your view, and sound the horn at blind spots
• Watch for pedestrians, slow down on uneven ground, and park with the forks down and the brake set

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