can someone clarify if forklift drivers require CDL?

Pshaw... if you need to lift more than you're certified for, just get another forklift.

 

Good deal... I've got a 48' trailer so that makes me exempt!

 

I drove a forklift working in an electronics salvage yard in a past life. It was just one of many little duties like stripping out racks of equipment, testing and sorting the parts, etc.

The first day on the job the guy was showing me how to run the fork lift so I could move the 400-800 lb racks around, and he was yanking the elevation and tilt lever all over the place, hitting its limits, and the thing was not responding. "oh yeah, you got to rev it up good and pull the steering wheel towards you and jam the lever up here like so and then back- then it'll raise.." So that was the training. The thing was a trap and he seemed glad to be off of it. There were several loose parts, like the operating lever collar and the linkages to the valves which were under the dash, and they'd bypassed the seat switch with a clip lead because it was broken and the brakes didn't work. I found some tools and fixed all of it but the brakes and the seat switch during lunch that day. All it took was tightening up some bolts and finding some long ones because the collar bolts had stripped out. Next day I adapted a used switch for the seat by making a little bracket. Never did fix the brakes, I didn't know how and they would not call a mechanic so it was the rule to drive slow and putt up to the pallets. The only real benefit of that job was getting all the electronics junk I wanted for scrap price by the pound. I was young and it didn't seem too bad but I wouldn't accept responsibility for operating equipment in that shape today. The sick part is, I know where that ancient Clark machine is right now 27 years later, it is in use occasionally with a new owner, and it still has no brakes.

 

How much can you lift?

 

Guess what?
Didn't have his CDL.

 

No.

HAHAHAHAHA.. sorry excuse me while i ROTF.

Someone was having fun at your expense.

 

Th OP posted his question 7 years ago.

 

Having an electric pallet jack and forklift cert in Texas made me a few bucks and saved me several hours that I didn’t have to wait for lumpers to overcharge for.

 

Ive used both, particularly power jacks and forklifts without any certs needed back then. Ive gotten very good riding the old corner plate jacks before those were banned and rengineered to prevent riding and so so on the lift. The old Yale Propane kind.

It is way better to be in a freight type where you don't need to be on the dock to load and unload. Eliminating the lost time and lumper payouts which you might not get it back at payroll is the ticket to prosperity.

 

I blame the Canuck. Lol.
(@not4hire)