4-Way (Multi-Directional) Reach Truck training in Derby
A reach truck whose wheels rotate ninety degrees, so it can carry long loads sideways down a narrow aisle.
Photo: Combilift, IAA 2026, Hanover (20260914-P1097475).jpg by Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
About the 4-way (multi-directional) reach truck
Four-way reach trucks (also called multi-directional or sideways-travelling trucks) solve one problem: moving long loads such as timber, pipe, steel bar or extrusions through aisles that are narrower than the load itself. All four wheels can turn through 90 degrees, so the truck drives sideways with the load lying along the aisle, then switches back to normal travel to turn or load a lorry.
They combine reach-truck storage capability with side-loader style handling. Operators need to understand which steering mode is selected before moving, how the load behaves when the truck changes direction, and how to approach cantilever racking squarely.
Because loads are long and often unsecured, much of the course is about load assessment: centre of gravity, fork spacing with wide-set forks or fork positioners, and travelling with the load as low as practical.
What the course covers
- Pre-use inspection including steering mode indicators
- Switching between normal, sideways and circular steering
- Handling long and bundled loads safely
- Cantilever racking: placing and retrieving
- Working in and around other traffic and pedestrians
- Parking, charging and shutdown
On-site, on your truck
We bring an accredited instructor to your premises in Derby or anywhere in Derbyshire. You provide the truck and a safe working area; we provide everything else, including the theory material, test papers and HSE-recognised certificate. Novice, semi-experienced, refresher and conversion packages are all available for this truck.
4-Way (Multi-Directional) Reach Truck training questions
Is a 4-way reach truck the same as a side loader?
Not quite. A side loader carries the load on a deck beside the cab and moves in one direction; a four-way reach truck carries it on forks at the front and changes its direction of travel. They are separate categories — we train on both.
Do you offer combi-lift training?
Yes. Combilift and Aisle-Master trucks are multi-directional machines and are covered by this course.
Need operators certificated in Derby or Derbyshire?