VNA Truck (Man-Up and Man-Down) training in Nottingham
Very narrow aisle trucks run in wire- or rail-guided aisles barely wider than a pallet, with the forks swivelling to serve both sides without the truck turning.
Photo: Combilift manup.JPG by Maxke85, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
About VNA trucks
A VNA truck is how a warehouse gets the most pallets under one roof. It works in aisles around 1.6 to 1.8 metres wide, often guided by a wire buried in the floor or by rails, and a rotating turret or swing-reach head turns the forks to face either side of the aisle. The truck never turns; only the forks do.
Man-down trucks keep the operator at floor level with the forks travelling up the mast. Man-up trucks lift the operator's cab with the forks, so the driver looks straight at the pallet at 12 or 14 metres and can also pick individual cases. That changes the training noticeably: working at height, cab harnesses, emergency lowering and the behaviour of a tall truck when the floor is not perfectly flat all come into it.
Because the aisle is so tight there is nowhere for a pedestrian to go, so aisle entry rules, end-of-aisle sensors and the warehouse's own traffic management are part of the syllabus. Guidance systems, height pre-selectors and semi-automatic positioning are covered where your trucks have them.
What the course covers
- Pre-use checks on a tall truck: mast, turret, guidance system and harness points
- Entering and leaving guided aisles, wire or rail transfer
- Turret and traverse operation on both sides of the aisle
- Man-up specific safety: harness, cab gates, emergency lowering
- Height pre-selection and camera systems where fitted
- Battery handling and end-of-shift procedure
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, 4-Way (Multi-Directional) Reach Truck, 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.
VNA Truck (Man-Up and Man-Down) training questions
Is man-up VNA a separate certificate from man-down?
Yes. The two are different categories because the operator rides up with the load on a man-up truck. We certificate each separately, or both if you run both.
Do candidates need to be comfortable with heights?
For man-up trucks, yes. Candidates who find a 12-metre cab uncomfortable are better suited to man-down or reach trucks, and we will say so early rather than at the test.
Can you train VNA at our site if the warehouse is live?
Yes. We agree a block of aisles or a quieter period with you so practical work can happen safely around normal operations.
Need forklift operators trained in Nottinghamshire?