Danny Maron, owner/trainer of Ideal Forklift Training in Canada's national capital, is an independent consultant, providing the education lift truck operators require, to businesses and government, to minimise the chance of incidents in the workplace. Before founding Ideal in 2000, Danny was a trainer at Canada's largest forklift dealer.

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Good Morning, Ideal Forklift Training, Dan speaking, how may I help you?
I am interested in forklift training. I want to know how much?
Are you calling for yourself, or on behalf of a company?
Just for me, how much?
Are you an experienced operator, or a novice?
I am inexperienced, how much?

That's a typical telephone call for us. 'How much' seems to be their only concern. Are they interested in the program that is being delivered (How much?)? Do they want to know what is being taught (How much?)? Do they want to hear how the course will be presented (How much?)? Are they interested in the length of the course (How much?)? Do they care whether I carry liability insurance (How much?)? What about the materials being presented (How much?)? Is your goal to earn some much-needed experience on the forklift (How much?)? What are you going to learn and end up accomplishing (How much?)? Are you interested in anything except how much How much??

"How much" seems to determine whether you win the contract or not these days, even if it is for only one individual, regardless of what is being taught, and how effective the training is. And we are not talking about a lot of money here, are we folks? The price of buildings may run to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Cars can cost tens of thousands of dollars. But forklift training? What are we looking at: $150 or $200? People make the exhaustive effort to find some scoundrel who will ONLY charge them $75.00, while calling every forklift trainer in the phone book, on their cell phones!

The above scenario does not only play out with unemployed individuals trying to scrape together some money to better themselves, but also wih well-known companies which are so cheap when it comes to providing safety training for their blue collar workers, they do whatever it takes (minimally) to cover their rear ends. (How much?) Management get a phone call from some organisation regarding an upcoming golf tournament or dinner and all they immediately and anxiously ask is where and when, and "I'll forward you the cheque". Not an issue! The GOLF is more important than the safety of their personnel - not realising the office staff, as well as themselves, can be in the line of danger.

I wonder when they go to the doctor or dentist if they ask (how much)? Do they call around a dozen dentists and ask how much for a filling? When they need new brakes, do they go to every service dealer and ask (How much)?

So, do we care if the doggy is sick? Do we care if the doggy has been dewormed? Do we care about the history of that dog? I guess not. I suppose our only concern is (How much?)

Qualifying a service, in this case forklift training, is extremely important. The quality of training received will bear upon the confidence and proper operation of the forklift by the operator. I cannot stress enough the importance of quality training in such a sensitive, incident-prone industry.

And as obvious as it appears that practical testing is a requirement, numerous trainers do not even bother watching the participants demonstrate their skills. Most businesses are only interested in buying that Record of Training that they can flash before the eyes of the labour ministry and convince themselves that 'hey look, I did my part and had my team trained. This is the trainer's fault. He/she is the one who trained them.

Many novice operators who have never been on a forklift are thrilled to receive their permits simply for showing up and handing over a cheque. Then, they expect to apply for forklift driving positions, but when asked to demonstrate their skills, naturally, these do not exist, and they lose their chance at securing the position.

And one wonders why there are numerous incidents and fatalities in this industry. Unfortunately, here in Canada, there is no government registration board controlling the trainers, and anyone who simply wants to earn a few dollars in the shortest possible time, without any suitable qualifications.

Forklift training is serious business. Qualified lift truck operators work more efficiently and are more productive. They also tend to minimise incidents, resulting in fewer injuries, deaths, and costly equipment repairs or replacements. Properly trained operators are an asset. Improperly trained operators are a liability. Putting profits before proper training results in increased insurance premiums, government insurance premiums and downtime.

I am getting very tired of fielding these phone calls. I consider myself the premier forklift trainer in the region with the best program, yet I am far from being the most expensive. (How much?), you ask. Call me, but before I respond to your (How much?) inquiry, you will have to answer several questions in order for me to qualify you as a serious student. And if you don't like it and are only interested in finding out (How much?), then I can send you to a few trainers who are definitely cheaper. However, the course will last less than a half day, involve open-book written tests, no driving test, and before you leave, here sir/ma'am, is your permit. Cheque please!