hi,
Can you say the same about cars and motor bikes i.e. the same principle applies? Same rules of the road etc.
We all know that both machines handle differently, they turn differently, they have different rules etc e.g. on a counterbalance you are instructed to have the seatbelt on and stay within the safety cab in case of a rollover BUT with the reach you are told to step off the machine in case of a rollover because there is no seatbelt (well there's no seat belts on any of the 25 reach trucks we have here)
I think too many people don't take forklift training and the dangers involved seriously enough (I'm talking about some employers) and trainers should leave nothing to chance. Trainers should never assume that trainees will show common sense, they should insist the rules and procedures are followed to the letter. Have you ever heard the saying that common sense is not very common!

I do agree unit and on site familiarization training is important, but so is giving trainees the opportunity to train in a controlled environment and teaching the basics on the specific machine they will be using in their workplace.