Telehandler

All firms require you to have a CSCS card (Construction Skills Certification Scheme),& you need this before you can do any course, a lot of firms like you to have A17c endorsement as well,this cover you for Telescopic Handlers ALL Sizes Excluding 360 Slew.

http://www.cscs.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/How_to_apply_finalHR.pdf

http://www.cscs.uk.com/about/

 

I've only got a counter-balanced F/L ticket, but this was only used occasionally as part of my job as a technician in the defence industry. I really can't see that a telehandler driver is a full time job, but I may be wrong.

 

Lost a link.
All the info for the test is on this site, test is £17:50p

http://www.citb.co.uk/cards-testing/health-safety-environment-test/about-test/

http://www.citb.co.uk/training-courses/plant-operations/telescopic-handler-cpcs-a17/

 

I really can't say too much about Telehandlers, as they were not used much in my industry, however I would imagine that in the construction industry, you would be a labourer with a ticket and would be called upon to drive one as required.

 

On big sites you are the equivalent of a forklift driver in a warehouse except if the brickies are on a price you will get tips.

 

Depends on the site, some you could be labouring & that could be anything, larger sites it's mostly telehandler, as there usually deliveries most days, materials wanted here & there by the trades, but you might be required to help out occasionally, job descriptions vary.

 

A basic labourer wouldn't have the ticket, which you have to pay for, so if you were employed for the premium price you could command they wouldn't waste their money getting you to shovel ****

 

If you got your tickets for telehanders and cherry pickers which includes scissor lifts and zip up towers you may never have to carry ****again. It isn't that expensive and lasts 5 years.

 

Telehandlers are sought after but unless you work direct for the firm you'll only get on average 10 percent over the average labourers wage through an agency. As a 'bog standard' laborer on some sites I made more than the tele handlers through the same agency. High work is where the money is, cranes and better still teleporter and self erecting crane tickets. It's not about the money it's about the flexibility.

I'm qualified on 5 tonne forks and 360 tippers for about 20 years now and a crane driver (sic) or his banksman would put my wages to shame. Banksmans ticket you'd think another £2.00 per hour but thats not the case in most cases. The agencies have taken the plant industry over. The big 18 metre reach JCB's teles can crab and have suspension in the cabs, £minimum rate the same as what I got on a zero suspension 5 tonne .

Like I said it's about flexibility, they all want tickets. 5 tonne minimum for flat work plus scissors plus 7.5 meteres plus 360 and self erecting crane license. all at minimum agency wage. I'm on 5 now my agency wants 7.5 counter balance. I'm not good enough to do the same **** I've done for years? I once on my own 'tipped' took delivery of 40 40 foot containers from China in two months. no crabbing no suspension no lunches either. Forklift driving isn't a career, it's an easy job sure anybody can do it!

 

You don't need tickets when you know the contractor. We sub for a few large contractors and just drive their equipment (telehandlers, mantis cranes, 360 excavators, dumpers etc) as and when we feel like it. They have guys who will step in for us if any hse blokes show up with clip boards to start ticking boxes.
It saves us a packet in the long run and makes us more competitive to the said contractors.
Which is why they keep coming back to us.

Its not about "flexibility" at all. Its about "knowing" what you're doing.

 

Can't see many main contractors taking the risk, if caught they will be fined a massive amount and stopped from tendering for future contracts, sad but true in the Health and Safety mad world we live in.

 

Its not what you know its "Who" you know.
Also some of the trainers will write us out "tickets" for a cash bung. There's always a get around.
If your just a greenhorn who knows no one then you'll have problems.

 

Maybe it's changed , but on my ITSSAR card, it only says recommended retest date, so maybe you don't have to renew your ticket.