Site for the 13 September forklift rally

The 2014 British Columbia Championship Forklift Rally with CAD4,000 in prize money is on Saturday 13 September at the Cloverdale Agriplex, Surrey.

The BC forklift rally was first held in 1997. Events in past years have averaged 75 competitors and more than 300 spectators.

The Canadian Materials Handling & Distribution Society (CMHDS) will conduct the rally with counterbalanced electric, reach truck, power pallet jack and counterbalanced propane divisions. Competitors' employers usually pay the CAD50 entry fee.

Competitors must wear safety shoes, sign a waiver on the day and compete in only one division. Competitors cannot switch divisions on the day. Companies are allowed a maximum of three competitors per division. Entries close on 5 September.

Competitors are scheduled to sign-in at 9am, obstacle course competitor orientation is at 9.30am, the competition starts at 10am, and the awards ceremony is at about 2pm.

John Gilder, CMHDS general manager, says: "Funding for the prize money comes from a combination of entrance fees and sponsorships. While we run the event, it is open to non-CMHDS members."

The non-profit CMHDS serves British Columbia's logistics industry and works with educational institutions to promote education, awareness and career opportunities in the logistics, materials handling and distribution industry. Institutions include the Logistics Institute of Toronto, Ontario; the British Columbia Institute of Technology, in Burnaby, BC; and the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business, in Vancouver, BC.

Society members include warehousing and distribution companies' management and staff and industry vendors, such as forklift dealerships, racking suppliers, packaging suppliers and temporary staffing companies.