The forklift came to Denmark after World War II and changed warehouse and transport work forever. From the first mechanically simple trucks without load charts, through standardized capacity plates and mandatory certificates, to today's sensors and automation — but throughout, load balance, the stability triangle, and load center reading have remained the field's core.
Introduction
Truck certificate is young trade with short but clear development: from experience trade without formal rules to mandatory standard-governed competence. Physics itself — that truck tips when load moment exceeds counterweight moment — has been same all way. What changed is how we put numbers on it and train drivers. This article sticks to conditions that can be documented in standards legislation and industry's own material
The first forklifts in Denmark (1950s–1960s)
Forklifts came to Denmark after World War II as warehouses grew larger and labor became more expensive. Before the truck, goods were stacked and lifted manually — heavy packages were split up or lifted by multiple people at once. The first forklifts were mechanically simple: hydraulic lift, manual steering, and no power steering. The risk of tipping was high because operators had to learn from experience that a truck shouldn't be filled completely — there was no load chart yet, only practical sense. The resulting accidents (tipping, falling goods, crushed feet) made it clear that training was needed.
Standards and the load chart (1970s–1980s)
Towards the end of the 1970s, European truck manufacturers began developing standardized capacity signs — load diagrams — that showed how much a truck could lift at different load centers and lift heights. Denmark followed German and Scandinavian practice, and over time the basis was replaced by the common European EN 1726 and later the DS/EN ISO 3691 series. The professional core was the moment balance about the front axle: a truck tips when the load moment exceeds the counterweight moment. This physical understanding replaced the earlier hand-adjusted rules of thumb.
Certificate and legal obligation (1990s–2000s)
In the course of the 1990s, the forklift certificate became legally required in Denmark through occupational health and safety rules: self-propelled forklifts with mechanical mast lifting must be operated by a person with a certificate. The training was structured as an AMU certificate course (today "Forklift Certificate Course B", AMU 47592), which combines theory — load diagrams, stability, mechanics — with practical driving and a final test. At the same time, the stability triangle became a fixed teaching concept: a counterweight forklift actually rests on three points (the two front wheels and the midpoint of the rear axle) and can tip sideways in turns if the centre of gravity slides outside the triangle.
Members only
The rest of the article is locked
Create a free user account to unlock all articles, calculators, templates and range — and get access to quizzes and classes. It takes less than a minute: name, email and a password. No payment card.
Want to try something first? See what you can use without an account — the junior zone, the encyclopedia, the videos and more.