There are plenty of examples across plenty of industries where licensing and training are totally optional, as opposed to mandatory. When this is the case, it’s of course natural to question whether or not it is really worth bothering with the training as logic suggests that if it really mattered, it would be compulsory.

Unfortunately, this is the kind of flawed logic that leads thousands of people every year into making rather ill-advised decisions.

In the example of the telescopic handler for use on building sites, these essential pieces of plant machinery are the backbone of a many a large-scale building projects. They’re big, they’re powerful and they make ambitious projects possible, but what’s interesting to note is that they don’t in any way demand that their respective drivers have any formal training or documentation. Telescopic handler training exists in many forms and there’s a ton of certification a driver can stack up, but why should they bother if they don’t strictly have to?

The answer…quite a few reasons:

Simple Safety On Site

First and foremost, the single most important reason for undergoing training is to ensure that any given driver knows how to do their job as safely as possible. It really doesn’t matter how much common sense you think you have or how much you intend to practice over the coming months and years, it’s still inevitable that without professional coaching, you’ll fall into a few/bad dangerous habits. By contrast, train with the best and you start off on the right foot…it’s as simple as that.

Better Efficiency

On-site safety is of course the first priority, but after this come the site’s efficiency and the general speed at which any project progresses. There’s a difference between rushing a job and getting a job done efficiently in the best way possible – the latter of the two is only possible for those undergoing the necessary training. With telescopic handlers, there’s a right and wrong way of both using them and using them with optimum efficiency – training should be considered mandatory when and where efficiency counts.

Promotion Prospects

In terms of the actual telescopic handler driver, one of the biggest benefits of all is the way in which this kind of training is exactly what’s needed to stand out from the crowd and immediately become a better prospect for a promotion. Because the UK doesn’t (yet) demand that all telescopic handler drivers take this kind of training, those that do immediately jump to the top of the pile and stand out in the eyes of employers.

Building Networks

For those really into the idea of operating a telescopic handler for the long-term, there’s really no better place to head than the training room to meet other people that share the same passion. These are the kinds of people that may in the long-run be able to highlight job promotion prospects and new projects going on across the UK – a valuable network of contacts to say the least.

Accessible and Affordable

Generally speaking, the company or individual project leader a driver works for will cover the costs of telescopic handler training – the benefit is after all very mutual. But even in instances where this doesn’t happen, telescopic handler training is still universally affordable and accessible. There are dozens of courses being held up and down the UK every day so it’s really impossible to be too far away from a local course centre. And with so many future promotion prospects coming as a result of the training, chances are it will pay for itself sooner or later.

Build a Reputation

The building trade is populated by tens of thousands of talented workers which makes standing out from the crowd pretty tricky to say the least. However, to undergo telescopic handler training is exactly the kind of thing that will immediately catapult any driver to a higher level. Getting ahead is all about making a name for yourself and building a reputation – a reputation that starts on a very good footing with pro training.

It Will Eventually Be Mandatory

And finally, while it may be something of an optional training asset for the time being, it won’t be this way forever. From the UK’s leading telehandler hire companies to the most influential building firms across the land, the general consensus is that it is only a matter of time until telescopic handler training and certification become mandatory for anyone wishing to work in such a position. As such, to sign up and get qualified now is to get a much-needed head start over everyone else.