RTITB · C1
Sideloader C1
Sideloaders up to 5,000 kg for long loads: timber, steel and pipe.
Novice 5 days · Refresher 1 day · Experienced 2 days · Conversion 2 days
Dates on request
See dates and bookRTITB · C1, C2, C3
Sideloader forklift training
For timber, steel, pipe and board: the truck that carries long loads sideways down an aisle. RTITB sideloader courses at our Grimsby centre or on your yard.
Accredited by
About the training
A sideloader carries its load along the side of the truck rather than out in front, so a pack of six-metre timber or a bundle of steel travels lengthways down an aisle instead of across it. It is the standard truck in timber yards, steel stockholders and builders' merchants.
RTITB splits sideloaders into three categories, C1 to C3, by the type of machine. Long-load stability and the deck-and-mast sequence are what the course adds to general lift-truck skills, and they are what the test examines.
Who it is for
- Yard operators at timber merchants, steel stockholders and pipe suppliers.
- Counterbalance operators who now need to handle long loads: conversion training.
- Operators with years on a sideloader and no recognised certificate.
- Operators renewing a sideloader certificate.
At our Grimsby training centre or on your site, nationwide.
Courses and dates
sideloader training courses
Each course is listed with its certificate code, the lengths at each level and the next date with places. Open a course to see every date and book online.
Sideloaders
RTITB · C2
Sideloader C2
Sideloaders over 5,000 kg and up to 15,000 kg.
Novice 5 days · Refresher 1 day · Experienced 2 days · Conversion 2 days
Dates on request
See dates and bookRTITB · C3
Sideloader C3
Heavy sideloaders over 15,000 kg.
Novice 5 days · Refresher 1 day · Experienced 2 days · Conversion 2 days
Dates on request
See dates and book
Before you book
sideloader training: questions we get asked
Is sideloader training different from counterbalance training?
Yes. Sideloaders are their own RTITB categories, C1 to C3. The course covers long-load stability, positioning the truck to the stack, and the sequence of lifting, retracting and lowering onto the deck, which a counterbalance course does not. Counterbalance operators take a conversion course.
How long does sideloader training take?
Typically five days for novices, two days for experienced or conversion operators and one day for a refresher. The length for each level is shown on the course page.
Can you train on our sideloader at our yard?
Yes, and for sideloaders it is often the better option, because operators learn on the loads and the stacks they will actually handle. Our instructors travel nationwide.
Would you rather we came to you?
We train on your site, on your machines, nationwide. Tell us how many operators and which trucks, and we will quote.