Fork Truck Warehouse Training Centre Ltd

If you want to learn how to drive and operate a forklift truck, then the Forktruck Warehouse Training Centre will provide the expert teaching and realistic environment that you need. From our headquarters in Widnes, Cheshire, we offer a range of comprehensive training courses which will help you acquire the skills and confidence to manoeuvre forklift trucks to a professional standard.

Our team of trainers collectively have over four decades of experience in using forklift trucks and related machinery, in sectors as diverse as farming, chemicals and warehousing. They have detailed knowledge of the situations you will be faced with after completing your training. In our specifically designed warehouse facilities (representative of the scenarios our students go on to work in), you can be trained on forklifts from sideloader and Bendi trucks to elevating platforms and reach trucks. The theory behind the practice is driven home in our well-equipped classrooms (where we also offer courses in first aid and fire safety awareness). Or, if it’s more convenient, we can provide training on your own premises, whenever it suits you! Forktruck Warehouse Training Centre courses have full accreditation from NORS and RTITB, guaranteeing the quality and rigour of our programmes. To find out more, just check out our website!

Sideloader Truck

As might be guessed by their name, sideloader trucks work by handling their load from the side (as seen by their driver). Their great strength is their easy manipulation of loads of unusual length or width, which more traditional forklifts would have problems dealing with safely and securely. Consequently, they are ideal for moving products such as pipes, sheet metal and wood sections. However, sideloader trucks are not quite as appropriate for handling smaller and more everyday items. Our RTITB-accredited course (which is only available on our own premises) is suitable for any level of learner, from the relatively inexperienced to those wishing to brush up their skills.

Reach Truck

Specially created for use among narrow warehouse aisles, reach trucks are so called because their extendible forks are able to reach up into higher levels of shelving. While reach trucks can reach up to 10 metres in height, their strong stabilising legs provide assurance that their balance will never be compromised when the trucks are active. Moving mast reach trucks are the variant generally used in the UK. More suitable for indoor use than for external duties, they are outstanding in a warehouse situation. Whether you’re a complete beginner or have a bit more forklift know-how, our helpful course (validated by RTITB) will get you moving!

Counterbalanced Truck

The most well-known and frequently encountered type of forklift, counterbalanced trucks can be powered by diesel, gas or electricity. They are used for standard and run-of-the-mill warehouse tasks. Counterbalanced trucks have no reach mechanism, but have forks sticking out from the head of the vehicle, and are easily positioned for loading. Weights in the trucks’ backs counter the items to be lifted at the front, thus preserving balance. In the case of electric trucks, only a small counterweight is needed as the battery adds to overall tonnage. You’ll have your counterbalanced trucks skills expertly sharpened up with this informative training programme.

Elevating Platform

Often also called ‘aerial work platforms’, elevating platforms help to give access to difficult-to-reach or awkward areas (generally those at a height). They are usually used in short-term or temporary circumstances, like building or maintenance situations, and therefore are highly mobile. Most can bear weight of up to one ton and generally only require a single operator. Elevating platforms may include sockets for electrical or power tools, as well as other specialist equipment. Whether you want to enhance your skills for use in warehouses or in other sectors altogether, its RTITB accreditation makes this course the perfect qualification.

Pedestrian Pallet Truck

Pedestrian pallet trucks are valuable and versatile forms of equipment in warehouses and storage facilities. Highly manoeuvrable and compact in their design, they can used in handling pallets of all shapes and sizes and have outstanding horizontal movement. Controlled by a tiller arm, these types of forklift are perfect for loading and unloading, transporting pallets over short distances (both in and out of  warehouse premises) and moving pallets up and down ramps. Operating a pedestrian pallet truck is undoubtedly a key skill for warehouse professionals, and as such will be reinforced by this useful programme’s RTITB-approved syllabus.

Bendi Truck

Once regarded as rather specialised-usage forklifts, Bendi’s award-winning ‘very narrow aisle’ (VNA) trucks are now well-established in the warehouse sector. Articulated and counterbalanced in their design, they can be used in narrower aisles (as small as 1600mm) than reach trucks, and are also simpler to operate. These days, Bendi’s four-wheel trucks sell in comparable quantities to traditional reach trucks and represent a valid alternative to VNA forklift models. Bendi truck training courses are still fairly thin on the ground, so graduates from our NORS- accredited course generally find themselves highly sought after by employers!

Emergency First Aid

Would you know what to do if someone fell ill or got injured at work? With the help of the Fork Truck Warehouse Training Centre’s approved courses, you can become thoroughly trained in first aid at work and emergency first aid procedures. Course leader Claire Oates draws on nearly three decades of experience with the NHS in providing a solid grounding for students with all levels of prior knowledge.  You can choose from a one-day basic or three-day advanced course, from which you’ll come out reassured that you have the skills and knowledge to prevent the unthinkable from happening.

Fire Safety Awareness

The threat of fire is one that anyone working in a warehouse must take seriously. FTWTC’s fire safety courses cover every aspect of reducing the risk of fires and of appropriate action in the event of a conflagration. They discuss: preventing fires; the use and conduct of fire drills; how fires start and spread; choices and checks of equipment (including fire blankets, extinguishers and smoke alarms); what to do when faced with a fire; evacuation procedures; the flammable properties of different materials; the role of fire marshals in the workplace; and other crucial points in fire safety awareness.

Driver CPC Courses

Following the introduction of the recent cross-European initiative, we are happy to be offering a selection of courses in Driver CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence). Intended to raise the level of driving standards and safety on Europe’s roads, these are advanced qualifications for drivers of lorries, coaches and buses.  The CPC is an element additional to the theory and practical tests, and needs to be passed by anyone who wishes to be a professional driver.  Our helpful hands-on courses will give you all the theoretical and practical knowledge you need to meet the rigorous standard of this essential qualification.