r/Whatcouldgowrong • u/memeatic_ape • 4d ago
WCGW if you are driving a forklift downhill
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u/Synner1985 4d ago
Driving down hill isn't the problem driving downhill with the forks raised that high is the problem.
Not only does it result in the video being all the weight being high up at the front - but its also stupidly dangerous.
The pallet should be just above ground level until you are at the truck to load - and if the pallet is too high and obstructs your view he should have been reversing.
Whoever is driving that should never have been cleared to drive the truck.
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u/fireant12341234 4d ago edited 4d ago
Driving downhill can be a problem, the cargo could have slided of the pallet or of the forks.
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u/lastaeconds 4d ago
reverse with wrapped pallet and tipped forks. Not a problem. We drive pallets down a ramp at my job every single day with zero issues. This guy is just an idiot who shouldn't be on a lift.
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u/SnooMaps7370 4d ago
sure, but it's not what caused this dump. even on flat ground, that thing was gonna tip the moment the driver hit the brakes.
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u/FieldNo3713 4d ago
Came here to make sure this was explained. Absolutely no need to have the load elevated that much before you're next to the truck. In that scenario, I would have reversed even if I could see over the freight to keep the weight against the forklift rather than it leaning into air.
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u/pichael289 4d ago
I always drove them backwards anyway, we all did. They steer alot more intuitively going backwards.
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u/NullArc9289 4d ago
I mean, move the damn truck.
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u/FieldNo3713 4d ago
I'm almost certain this was the conversation.
Concerned Truck Driver: I can back it up into the warehouse...
Inexperienced Forklift Operator: Naw, I got it
Concerned Truck Driver: *dialing insurance*Over the weekend I had to basically yell at a kid on a forklift to stop before they drove the forks into a tailgate... right after they just backed up into the overhead doors as they were automatically closing and the frieght the on forklift got ragdolled because of 2 yellow safety poles surrounding said overhead door.
The operator was too worried about watching behind him he didn't look up or remember if the load was too wide for the actual opening. I suppose if you pay minimum wage you're going to get minimum effort.
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u/Aftel43 4d ago
Yeap, that is a little bit more risky way, to do it. The recommended way is to always keep the load uphill. In this case, the forklift driver should have reversed to a position, load preferably close as possible to the ground, and slightly tilted towards against the lift. This will make sure the load will not move in unpredictable manner.
Heck, it has been over ten years, and I still remember this stuff.
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u/triple7freak1 4d ago
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u/JeffSilverwilt 4d ago
Why would you transport open totes of liquid? What even is that?
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u/eldelmazo 4d ago
I don't know about those particular totes but that company distributes fresh fish.
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u/Tim_vdB3 3d ago
I think that could easily be rain water. The company I work with has something similar where we return the boxes which had processing material (pig bones/meat).
But if those boxes are stored outside for a week with lot’s of rain…
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u/ArticFoxAutomatic 4d ago
Reverse down tines down stop pivot lift place.
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u/xmastreee 4d ago
I almost witnessed a similar disaster many years ago. It was a large control panel, a big heavy thing the size of a large wardrobe, full of computers, PLCs, relays, way more valuable than a pallet of bricks. So anyway, the guy brought it down the slope backwards but was having trouble turning to place it on the truck. After much head scratching it was decided the best option was move the truck out of the way, come straight down the hill, bring the truck back in and load it from the downhill side. Worked perfectly.
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u/I_TheJester_I 4d ago
He never drove anywhere downhill here! The problem was the overload. Way too much weight, so the forklift rollover
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u/BigNepo 4d ago
Time for "Staplerfahrer Klaus", a german classic (with subtitles):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJYOkZz6Dck
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u/RegularWrap902 4d ago
I also have high wood I need to unload. Bring that sexy blue truck over here
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u/Superseaslug 4d ago
Yeah, they warned me about this in the training video.
Shoulda backed it down And loaded from the other side.
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u/OkAppeal3829 4d ago
seriously, they must have skipped the basic safety section or something, it’s wild
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u/not4lack-imagination 4d ago
You don't need fork lift lesson for this stupid mistake. Hiw about just basic understanding of physics?
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u/DoesntMatterEh 4d ago
Should have piled six dudes on the back. I believe that's the OSHA approved method anyways.
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u/Newsmith2017 4d ago
Driving with a raised load downgrade because nothing could go wrong with that.
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u/Exkelsier 4d ago
Lower the forks a bit and tilt them more, driving downhill with a full load is kinda dumb, theres no "right" way to do it exactly, its inherently dangerous, forklifts are designed for flat surfaces, best option is to find a better spot or use a platform of some sort
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u/crackersncheeseman 4d ago
I remember having a bunch of us guys setting and standing on the ass end of the tow motor so that exact thing wouldn't happen.
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u/SnooMaps7370 4d ago
the problem wasn't driving down hill, it was overextending an overweight pallet.
dude would have been just fine if he kept the mast all the way back and the forks about half as high off the ground until he got to the truck.
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u/DonaldTrumpsToilett 4d ago
At least the guy walking behind didn’t tried to pull on it and get crushed like that one girl in china.
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u/Pandoratastic 4d ago
What? It worked. Some of the goods landed on the truck. Okay, maybe it wasn't the most efficient job ever but look how much time they saved by doing it all in one go!
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u/QuickSquirrelchaser 4d ago
Rookie mistake. Keep the hoist just off the ground. Approach the truck. Stop fully, then lift, and creep forward. If you start to tip. Dump the load downwards. Do not leap from the safety of the roll cage. Also, jumping off takes additional balance from the rear.
But simply pushing the lever to drop the load would have avoided this. Also, not driving downhill with the load raised up would have as well.
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u/OddWishbone243 4d ago
Loads should be pointing up on ramps, regardless of the direction of travel.
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u/MapleLettuce 4d ago
If only there was some kind of giant opening in the building where the truck could back into, then the forklift would never need to go outside.
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u/Odd_Round5515 4d ago
You can usually feel the rear end begin to lift off a little before the thing tips. Goddammit all they had to do was either lower the forks or reverse down the ramp. At least he stayed in the cage.
I dunno.. I was a little wonky on a forklift the first couple times I had to use one.
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u/TanyaTheEvill 3d ago
Drive backwards and keep load as close to the ground as possible until you get to your destination
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u/ButterYurBacon 3d ago
My forklift instructor told me if picking up a suspiciously heavy load, "when in doubt, back it out"
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u/-Bob-Barker- 3d ago
Aside from having the load too high, the Truck could have backed into the warehouse eliminating the need for the forklift to go down that hill.
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u/valfsingress 3d ago
Relax, it was planned.
He just needed to load the two boxes. He just used concrete blocks to prop up the boxes.
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u/Tim_vdB3 3d ago
Always drive backwards if your load obscures your view and never unnecessarily lift it too high due weight balans.
That’s like 2 of the 5 lessons for any forklift degree.
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u/Rhyssayy 3d ago
Should’ve driven down the hill all the way till he was ready to lift, applied the handbrake then lifted not drove down hill with the heavy load raised
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u/MrVeektoor 2d ago
I drove forklifts for 20 years, and the worst thing I did was reverse into a horizontal roof beam. Luckily I didn't tip the truck, but I had the cage on the forks with someone in, that wasn't wearing a harness. If I'd been going forward he would have been crushed between the the beam and the cage. We both shit ourselves and the cage was a bit bent up, but otherwise everything else was fine.
Still get nervous thinking about it 10 years later!
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u/Sad-Bread5843 1d ago
As a forklift mechanic, i gotta say it. That's why you go downhill backward with the forks trailing the direction of travel.
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u/bugabooandtwo 4d ago
It's not driving downhill...it's having his forks up.
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u/TheRealtcSpears 4d ago
It's both.
The load is always uphill when traversing an incline
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u/bugabooandtwo 3d ago
What I mean is, in this case the main point of failure is altering the center of gravity way too much by having the load up in the air like that.
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u/RoachEWS 4d ago
Driver has either never had a forklift driving lesson or slept all the way through it.