Why Do Forklifts Have 2 Brake Pedals?

Ever wonder why forklifts have two brake pedals? Forklifts, of course, make it easy to lift and transport heavy objects. Also known as a lift truck, they feature a pair of height-adjustable arms. You can place the arms under a heavy object, such as a loaded pallet, after which you can raise them.

Some forklifts are powered by a battery or battery bank, whereas others are powered by propane gas. Regardless, most of them feature two brake pedals. They have a single accelerator pedal to the right of the floorboard. In the center of the floorboard is a service brake pedal. And to the left of the floorboard is an inching brake pedal.

What Is a Service Brake Pedal?

To slow down the speed at which the forklift is traveling, you'll typically need to press the service brake pedal. The service brake pedal is the main, standard brake pedal. Pressing down on the service brake pedal will decelerate the forklift. If you want to slow down -- or come to a complete stop for that matter -- just release your foot from the gas pedal and press down on the service brake pedal.

What Is an Inching Brake Pedal?

In addition to a service brake pedal, most forklifts have an inching brake pedal. The inching brake pedal isn't a true brake pedal. Rather, it's used to disengage the transmission.

You can always disengage the transmission by shifting into neutral. Manually shifting, however, can be tedious. An easier solution is to press down the inching brake pedal. Doing so will disengage the transmission. The inching brake pedal will still slow down the forklift, but its main purpose is to disengage the transmission.

Differences Between Service and Inching Brake Pedals

Upon using a forklift for the first time, many operators are surprised to discover the presence of multiple brake pedals. While other vehicles typically only have a single brake pedal, most forklifts have two brake pedals. They have a service brake pedal and an inching brake pedal. 

The service brake pedal is the main brake pedal that, when pressed, will slow down the forklift. The inching brake pedal is a secondary brake pedal. You can use the inching brake pedal to quickly and easily disengage the transmission.

Forklifts, of course, still have an accelerator pedal. You'll need to press the accelerator pedal to speed up the forklift. But they also have two brake pedals, one of which is the service brake pedal and the other is the inching brake pedal.