What is a forklift manual?
Learn what is a forklift manual and what the different manual types are
If you own a forklift or any type of lift truck that can pick up, transport and drop off inventory or heavy material in a warehouse, construction site or distribution center, then you are going to likely need a forklift manual at some point. So what is a forklift manual? There are a variety of types as follows:
- Forklift Repair Manual or Forklift Service Manual or Forklift Shop Manual
- A Forklift Owners Manual, also know as a forklift operation manual or operators manual
- A Lift Truck or Forklift Parts Manual
- Forklift Maintenance and Operation Manual
Here are the definitions of each type of forklift manual:
What is a Forklift Repair Manual?
A forklift repair manual is sometimes also called a forklift service manual or forklift shop manual. It explains how to remove common forklift parts and how to replace them with new replacement parts. Mechanics or mechanically inclined workers or forklift owners will be the big consumers of a forklift repair manual. Repair manuals may include some common maintenance routines, however, these common tasks may also be outlined in the forklift owners or operator manuals. This Yale forklift repair manual page details forklift repair manuals for forklifts by the brand Yale.
What is a Forklift Parts Manual?
A forklift parts (component) manual is sometimes also called a forklift parts catalog. This publication lists every single part/component that is used to put a forklift together. Each unique part has a part number. It is used to understand how a forklift is put together and what the various parts are called and how to identify that part if you need to replace it.
These publications usually include illustrations of various systems or areas on a forklift. They show what is a called an exploded image view. That is an illustration of the various parts related to each other as if they had been pulled apart. This visual information allows you to understand how something goes together. It also shows what parts are related to each other and how they fit together. Parts manuals vary in page count but often run into the hundreds or thousand of pages for complex forklift that have many parts. This forklift parts manual page shows parts manual for Nissan forklifts.
What is a Forklift Owners Manual?
A forklift owners or operators manual – sometimes called a forklift operation manual – is a paper or PDF book published by the forklift manufacturer that contains safety instructions. It also has instructions on how to drive and operate the forklift. In some cases these operator manuals also contains basic maintenance information for the forklift. Any forklift operator may need screen read out information, instructions on driver controls and other step by step information on how to safely use the forklift. In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration government agency — OSHA for short — requires by law that a printed owners manual is onboard every forklift truck operated by a company in the United States. Here are some more information about forklift owner’s manuals for Yale forklifts.
Is a Forklift Maintenance and Operation Manual different than a Forklift Service Manual?
Yes, a forklift maintenance and operation manual is typically the same as a owner’s manual. The maintenance part of that manual details regular maintenance to keep the truck operating. A forklift service manual will have information on how to do detailed repairs.
What is the difference between a printed forklift manual and a PDF manual?
If you are more used to a reading a forklift manual in book form than on a screen or mobile device that you may not be as familiar with the term PDF or Portable Document Format. This is a type of file that replicates the look and feel of a printed publication but is used to display the publication on a screen. That includes, computer screen, mobile smartphone or tablet. PDF is a file format developed by a company called Adobe. PDF files are handy because they are searchable and mimic a paper book perfectly for the screen.
