That way, it lands softer, and sometimes you can stop the fall completely. Usually you'll try to tip the load back as well. The arms can be moved apart or closer together. You want them close together so you can manuever around the factory floor, but you want them far apart so the loads balance better. You usually end up getting out and moving them back and forth all day.
Some forklifts have hydraulic systems to spread the forks.
You pick it up at the same time, and lean the fork assembly back towards you to hold onto the load. It usually works. Sometimes you just push it along in front of you. You have to look for that sort of thing of course, but somehow I missed him. Somehow, he missed me, too.