Driver Training · Reach Truck
Reach truck training and certification across Ireland
Category-specific reach truck courses for novices, counterbalance operators converting across, and existing operators due re-certification — delivered in your own aisles at your own lift heights.
Reach truck certification
A different truck, a different ticket
Reach trucks put a load eight or ten metres in the air in an aisle barely wider than the pallet, with rear-wheel steering that behaves nothing like a counterbalance. That is why it is a separate training category, and why a counterbalance certificate does not cover an operator who steps onto a reach truck. AWE delivers reach training on your own trucks and in your own racking, so operators learn on the aisle widths, beam heights and floor conditions they will face every shift. Conversion courses for existing counterbalance operators are usually one to two days; novices start from the beginning, and refreshers keep certification current before the three-year mark.
Syllabus
What reach truck training covers
Everything specific to narrow-aisle, high-level work — not a repeat of the counterbalance course.
Truck familiarisation
Reach mechanism, mast stages, stabilising legs, steering behaviour and how the load centre shifts as the mast extends.
Working at height
Beam-level placement, camera and height-selector use, mast deflection and what changes when the fork tips are eight metres up.
Aisle discipline
Narrow-aisle manoeuvring, pedestrian segregation, rack protection, floor condition and the causes of rack-impact damage.
Checks and assessment
Daily pre-use inspection, battery care and charging, defect reporting, then theory and practical assessment on category.
Counterbalance vs reach
Why the two categories are not interchangeable
| Counterbalance | Reach truck | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical lift height | Up to ~4–6 m | Up to ~10 m and above |
| Aisle width needed | Wide (3.5 m+) | Narrow (2.5–3 m) |
| Operator position | Forward-facing seated | Side-on seated, twisting to travel |
| Load centre shifts in use | No | Yes |
| Camera / height selector common | No | Yes |
| Separate certification required | Yes | Yes |
How it works
Booking reach truck training
Tell us the fleet and the racking
Truck make and model, top beam height, aisle width and how many operators need certifying.
Written quote and dates
Course level, duration and price confirmed in writing, normally within one working day.
Training in your aisles
Instructor comes to you and runs theory and practical on your own trucks and racking, out of hours if the aisles are busy.
Certified and diarised
Certificates issued on the day, digital records held and a reminder sent before the three-year expiry.
FAQ
Reach truck training — common questions
Keep exploring
Related services
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Counterbalance, reach, VNA, order picker, pallet truck, MEWP and manual handling.
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LOLER and PUWER inspection of the reach trucks your operators work on.
Learn moreForklift hire
Short-term reach and counterbalance hire while your own trucks are serviced or during peaks.
Learn moreKnowledge Hub
Read before you decide
Warehouse Racking and Aisle Widths: Matching the Truck to the Rack
Aisle width decides which truck you can run — and truck choice decides how many pallet positions fit in the building. Get the pairing right before the racking goes in.
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Multi-category bookings and out-of-hours courses available nationwide. Call (01) 401 9919.