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Did You Know Forklift Rodeos Are a Thing?

Published on January 24, 2024

Move Over Cowboy, Forklift Rodeos Are Here!

While traditional rodeos have been around since the 1800s, Forklift rodeos are a new phenomenon that has hit the material handling world by storm.

Let’s face it, safety training isn’t always super entertaining. But what if there was a way to make forklift safety and operation competitive & fun? Enter the Forklift Rodeo!

The best part is that these lift truck rodeos can be done in any setting where you utilize your reach trucks! Regardless of whether you are training your technicians to run their forklifts in a shipyard, warehouse, or even a construction site, holding a rodeo might be a fun way to promote safety & training exercises for your team! Just remember that forklifts should only be used in the environments for which they are designed.

What Are Forklift Rodeos?

A forklift rodeo can be anything from an obstacle course that is completed in a single run, to a series of individual tasks that your team can complete individually. It is also important to remember that, aside from the safe use of your equipment, there are no rules when it comes to these rodeos.

Reach trucks and fork trucks are perfect competitors for a forklift rodeo. You can also hold your rodeo in any type of environment. But we suggest using material handling equipment and environments similar to where your lift truck technicians normally operate.

What Do I Need to Hold a Forklift Rodeo? How Do I Host a Forklift Rodeo?

Not much really! Well, not any more than you already have in your warehouse.

Obviously, you need a forklift. The rest is up to you depending on what key safety points you want to focus on or skills you want your employees to show off. We do suggest having at least some pallets or boxes that are similar in size to what your technicians normally interact with during their day-to-day jobs.

What Are Some Ideas for My Forklift Rodeo Obstacle Courses?

First you should think about what areas your employees need additional training in. Are your technicians bumping into shelves? Try running a rodeo that has lots of tight twists and turns! Some other ideas include:

Balancing beams across forks of the lift truck and have employees turn corners
Placing pallets & boxes inside marked areas
Stacking items securely and perfectly in piles
Moving a forklift without spilling a bucket of water or dropping balls rolling around on a pallet.