Counterbalance steering makes the rear of the truck sweep outside the path of the forks. Operators looking towards the load can clear the rack face at the front while the counterweight, light or LPG cylinder guard contacts an aisle end behind them.
Short answer
Rear-swing damage is controlled by measuring the truck's swept envelope, preserving that clearance and training operators to check the rear before and during the turn. If temporary stock or protection reduces the space below the required envelope, the movement must change. Front clearance alone does not prove the truck fits.
What this means in practice
An engineering store widens pallet locations but leaves outbound cages beside the aisle end. A counterbalance clears the load corner, then its left rear light clips a cage as the operator steers out. Repeated light repairs are recorded against different drivers because the temporary cage has removed the counterweight sweep used by every turn.
The manager decides whether to remove staging, alter the turn, protect the exposed component, restrict that truck or source different geometry. A trial must use the normal load and approach position.
Key checks
- Mark the counterweight's outer path through the full approved turn.
- Compare rear profiles, wheelbases and steering angles across trucks using the aisle.
- Identify repeated damage by side and height on the counterweight or rear fittings.
- Check temporary stock, barriers and pedestrians against the swept envelope.
- Observe whether operators turn before the rear axle reaches the agreed point.
Mirrors or cameras may help awareness, but they do not create physical clearance. Their usefulness should be tested against the actual blind area without encouraging dependence on a single view.
Rear-swing assessment should also cover parked equipment and pedestrian waiting points outside the marked aisle. A turn may clear the rack yet expose a person or charging truck positioned beside the nominal route.
Common mistakes
Measuring only aisle width ignores where the truck pivots and how far the rear projects. Painting a tighter line can also fail if operators must cross it to align the load accurately.
What good looks like
The approved movement has a visible, unobstructed swept envelope, the truck and load used in the assessment match live work, and operators demonstrate the correct turn point. New staging is kept outside the space. Managers can explain which trucks are authorised and what triggers reassessment.
When to ask WRMH for help
Ask WRMH when rear lights, counterweights or nearby structures show repeated one-sided contact. WRMH can inspect the damage, compare truck geometry and observe the route, helping determine whether repair, training, staging control or different equipment will reduce repeat downtime and collision risk.
trace the rear corner through the highest-damage turn using the normal truck and load, then remove anything inside that envelope.