A forklift steers from the rear wheels, so the rear swings out opposite to the direction of turn. The tail swing hits racking, posts and pedestrians where the driver is not looking — a classic cause of accident. This is how rear-wheel steering works, this is how you take turns, reversing and backing safely, and this is how you set a pallet in the racking.
Introduction
Most forklift manuals explain thoroughly WHY a truck tips. But just as important is being able to operate the machine: to steer, turn, reverse and manoeuvre it without the rear end sweeping anything — or anyone — over. Driving technique is a core learning objective on the certification course (AMU 47592), and it is precisely the rear-wheel steering that makes a forklift fundamentally different to drive than a car.
Rear-wheel steering: why the rear behaves in reverse
On a car the front wheels steer and the rear follows nicely around a bend. On a counterweight truck it is the opposite: the front wheels drive and carry the load, while the REAR WHEELS steer. This gives the truck its greatest strength — it can turn incredibly sharply and almost turn on the spot — but it also changes how it behaves around a bend. When the steering rear wheels turn, the entire rear swings out to the OPPOSITE side of the direction you are steering. If you steer the front end to the left, the rear goes out to the right.
The consequence is that the front wheels (and the load) follow a tight arc, while the rear sweeps a wide arc outward. The truck turns sharply but takes up space on both sides at once.
Tail swing — the most dangerous habit to forget
Trailer swing is when the rear swings out in a turn. It is dangerous for one specific reason: the driver looks in the direction of travel — forwards and into the turn — but the rear swings the other way, outwards away from where the driver is looking. That is why trailer swing typically:
- 01Shelf legs and shelf posts at the end of an aisle — the back sweeps the post when the truck turns out of the aisle.
- 02Columns, door frames and gateposts in narrow passages.
- 03Other materials, pallets or packaging standing along the roadway.
- 04And most serious: pedestrians standing beside or behind the truck believing they are outside the danger zone.
To take a turn
- 01Reduce speed BEFORE the turn, not in the middle of it — the centrifugal force in a turn is the primary cause of sideways roll-over, and it increases with the square of the speed.
- 02Drive in wide and do not cut the corner — then you have room for the front to follow a tight curve without the rear sweeping anything.
- 03Never swing with raised load; a high load in a turn lifts the centre of gravity and amplifies both tail swing and tipping risk.
- 04Avoid turning mid-slope — the combination of turning and slope easily sends the centre of gravity outside the stability triangle.
Turning in place
Rear-wheel steering makes the truck very manoeuvrable — it has a small turning diameter and can in practice turn almost on the spot. This is an advantage in narrow aisles, but it amplifies the tail swing: the sharper you turn, the more the rear sweeps out. Therefore only turn where you have free space all the way round, and keep an eye on the rear's arc, not just the front. On a three-wheel truck the turning diameter is even smaller, but the narrow stability triangle makes it equally more sensitive laterally — turn slowly.
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