4-Way (Multi-Directional) Reach Truck training in Nottingham
The long-load truck. All four wheels turn through ninety degrees so the operator can carry timber, steel or pipe 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 four-way reach trucks
Anyone who has tried to turn a 6-metre length of steel or a pack of timber round a corner on a counterbalance knows why the four-way truck exists. Its wheels rotate so the truck can run forwards like a reach truck, then switch modes and travel sideways with a long load carried along its length. Racking aisles for long products can therefore be as narrow as the truck, not as wide as the load.
Combilift is the name most Nottinghamshire businesses know, but Hubtex, Baumann and others make multi-directional trucks too, in electric, LPG and diesel and in sit-on and stand-on layouts. Most have a platform or guide rollers to steady the load during sideways travel, and some can also carry pallets in the normal way, making them a one-truck solution for mixed yards.
The course deals with the extra thinking the operator has to do: which direction mode the truck is in, how a long load behaves when the truck turns, load centres on the platform, and the wide swept path at the ends of aisles. Many candidates arrive with a reach or counterbalance certificate and convert in a day.
What the course covers
- Pre-use checks including wheel rotation and the load platform or rollers
- Switching between forward, sideways and crab-steer modes
- Picking up and setting down long loads on and off racking
- Load centres and stability with loads carried lengthways
- Travelling sideways in narrow aisles and through doorways
- Working outdoors on yard surfaces where applicable
On site, on your truck, anywhere in Nottinghamshire
We bring an accredited instructor to your premises in Nottingham or any town in Nottinghamshire. You provide the truck and a safe working area; we provide the theory material, test papers and the HSE-recognised certificate. Novice Forklift Training, Semi-Experienced Forklift Training, Refresher Forklift Training, Conversion Forklift Training are all available for this truck.
Other truck categories
Counterbalance Forklift, Reach Truck, Double Deep Reach Truck, VNA Truck (Man-Up and Man-Down), Bendi and Flexi (Articulated) Forklift, Pivot Steer Truck, Powered Pallet Truck, Pedestrian Stacker Truck, Telehandler (Telescopic Handler), Order Picker (Low, Medium and High Level), Rough Terrain (Masted) Counterbalance, Side Loader.
4-Way (Multi-Directional) Reach Truck training questions
Does a Combilift certificate cover other makes?
Yes. The certificate is for multi-directional lift trucks, not a brand. The instructor familiarises candidates with the controls on your make and model.
Can operators with reach or counterbalance tickets convert?
Usually in one day, because steering, hydraulics and much of the theory are already known. The time is spent on multi-directional travel and long-load handling.
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