Patent ID: 7051832

Claim:
A material handling vehicle, comprising: an operator compartment; a first operator control handle for selecting a direction and a speed of travel, the first control handle being mounted at a first position in the operator compartment and configured for operation in a first operator orientation; a second operator control handle for selecting a direction and a speed of travel, the second operator control handle being mounted at a second position in the compartment and configured for operation in a second operator orientation opposite the first operator orientation; a steering mechanism mounted for access on the operator compartment, the steering mechanism being controlled by the operator to select a direction of motion; and a traction system controlled by the first and second operator control handles to drive the vehicle in a selected direction, wherein an operator can control the traction system while in either of the first or the second operator orientations, and wherein the steering mechanism is mounted to be accessible to an operator in the first operator orientation and controlling the first operator control handle and to an operator in the second operator orientation and controlling the second operator control handle.