I am from Hsinchu city. I entered this field by accident. My father's business failed, so I had to leave home to support myself. My sister worked in Keelung then, and she told me of a travel agency that needed packers. So I applied for the job. Because I was strong and healthy, the boss hired me on the spot. It was 1958 and I was twenty years old.
My job gave me many chances to meet foreigners who were providing military supplies to Kinmen [Quemoy]. I met people from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and different embassies, too. I got involved with their transportation and moving needs. Later, the families of American soldiers began to arrive in Taiwan. The Americans needed Taiwan companies to provide "house-to-house moving" [spoken in Taiwanese-accented English] services. People in Taiwan had never done that kind of work before. If you wanted to move, you just packed all your things into a truck and moved. Who would have known that the Americans were so careful? We also worked with the U.S. Defense Department. We borrowed four vans from American President Lines [a U.S.-based shipping company] and began our service. We went all over Taiwan from north to south and south to north. I did everything.
Later I joined the navy for three years. I learned a lot then. I learned how to be the leader of a team. But a sailor made so little money. An ensign got only NT$400 [US$10] a month back then. As a packer, I made NT$1,500 [US$37.50]. That was in 1962. When I think about it, I have some regrets. [Lowers his head, smiling to himself.] If I hadn't gotten married, I would've made the military my career. I like to practice my leadership abilities. I like that very much. Even when I was a child, I was always a leader.... Anyway, when I returned to work in Taipei, the Vietnam War had just begun. We were so busy. More American soldiers arrived in Taiwan. They came and went. Many moving companies were opened at that time.
A lot of American soldiers sent their luggage to Taiwan and asked us to transport it to Vietnam. Often, just when we were about to ship it, we were informed that the owner had been killed in Vietnam. Then we had to send his luggage back to the States. During the Vietnam War, we did all kinds of things. I was sent to Tainan to handle transportation of disassembled bombs. They were shipped to Kaohsiung port. I was responsible for transporting them to Tainan air base, and from there to Thailand.
After the war, U.S. relations with Taiwan cooled. Business was very gloomy. Then Taiwan's [own] industry began to develop. Foreign companies began to come to Taiwan. General managers, engineers, and [foreign] personnel, and their belongings, came with them. We were busy again.
That's when I learned to drive a forklift. I learned to operate a seven-ton forklift first. It was the first forklift in Taiwan and was given to us by our agent in Okinawa. It was our baby. Whoever could operate it was paid the best. I thought that if I could operate it, I could find a job easily. But no one would teach me. Because once you learned the skill, you were going to grab someone's rice bowl [take the job of the person that taught you]. I asked the operators if they could teach me. They said, "How could I teach you?" Most people who drove forklifts had little education. They only knew how to drive. If you wanted to learn, you had to learn by watching them. They said, "Well, I'll let you watch." So I learned on my own.
It wasn't so difficult when I was learning. [Looks into the distance.] I'd often practice when the experienced operators weren't around. [Smiles.] I'd sneak in [to the yard] to drive. There were very few forklifts in Taiwan back then. People who knew how to operate them were considered lao yeh—big masters—and you had to pay them respect. In the old days, the big masters had also taught themselves to drive. There was no passing of skills from master down to pupil. [Waves his hand disapprovingly.] Now there are training classes.
When I began to teach, I already knew how to instruct people. I knew how to yell at them when they made mistakes. [His face turns serious.] You must be harsh with them. You can never make a mistake when driving a forklift. It can be very dangerous. We have this co-worker. He pushed the prongs into a crate, and it toppled over. Back then, forklifts had no protection on top. The guy got scared and jumped from the driver's seat. He fell on the ground and hurt his pelvis. He became handicapped. Some people have even flipped forklifts over. So I teach them to be more careful.
Even if people are trained in class, that doesn't guarantee that they know how to operate a forklift well. They have the license, all right. But they may still cause accidents. When they were being trained, they handled small things. When we train people here, we have them handle big, heavy things, just like you would in reality. Those who learn to handle big things first know how to handle smaller things. Those who started with smaller things often don't pay attention to things like the space behind them when they operate a forklift. They forget that instead of moving the forklift forward, they should back up. Obviously their teachers didn't tell them that. Obviously their teachers didn't have much experience. They need people like us who have lots of experience. People who dare to be strict and beat other people in order to train them well. [Looks tough.]
When I teach a new guy how to operate a forklift, I sit next to him. The first time is always scary. You need to comfort him and give him support. At the same time you walk him through the basic steps one by one. If you aren't experienced, one sudden jerk can cause a crate to fall. You must be especially careful. Not everyone who is trained in a class can do it. I've trained many people from all over Taiwan. If they're smart enough, they learn quickly. But you must be harsh on them from time to time. [Stern expression.] If you're too nice, they won't improve. They'll appreciate it if you push them. In the navy, I sometimes hit subordinates with my fists just to teach them lessons. [Shakes his fist.] They all respected me for that later.
Today's young people are different. We used to exercise a lot. I went to Hsinchu Junior High School. The principal was very concerned about physical education. We swam in summer, did long-distance running in winter, and all kinds of gymnastics all year round. I trained my body in the navy. A good physique is useful in my job. Like the moving work we do, things are very big and heavy. Operating a forklift requires a good physique. When you drive, you use a lot of strength in your legs and feet. Sometimes my feet and hands go numb after a day's work. [Massages his right leg as if easing the pain.]
In a shipping container yard, forklift operators don't have time to rest. I remember when the first yard was opened in 1967, we were so busy. We ate meals on the forklift. We didn't have time to get off and have a proper meal. We started around six in the evening, and worked all night until six the next morning. We were so busy. You know, I witnessed the development of Taiwan's industry. I helped ship the country's exports. I remember back when things produced in Taiwan, unlike now, were very poorly made. Motors that were heavy and crude for instance. Today, Taiwan makes top-quality computers and high-tech products. And I also remember one time when a shipping company asked me to help pack vegetables to be sent to a U.S. military base in Okinawa. Taiwan had just started using chemical fertilizers for growing vegetables. So we could sell the vegetables to the United States. Not long before that we still used night soil. [Chuckles.]
To be an operator, you must be calm. You can't be restless. When you work, you mustn't drink. If you do, you can't focus. You make mistakes. Then it's too late to repent. You can't afford it. Although things are insured, you'll ruin the company's reputation. We often warn our trainees: first of all, it's not just your rice bowl [job], it's many people's rice bowls. Take our company, for instance. There are about one hundred people. There are at least five to six hundred people being supported by the salaries of those one hundred people. Their wives and children. Other companies are involved too. Companies that supply the timber for making crates and cartons, ropes, tapes, nails, and everything. It's like a chain. If your link breaks, the whole chain breaks. And the business is through.
Many people are careless these days. They don't realize the importance of their individual jobs in relation to the jobs of everyone around them. When I was growing up, I understood that very well. We older guys have to keep an eye on them [the young people] all the time. We remind them again and again about the possible consequences of being careless. It can be dangerous too. If you don't concentrate on what you're doing, you can hurt yourself.
People aren't as aggressive toward work as we were in the old days. We worked because we had families to support. We tried hard to improve our skills. The more we learned, the more money we made. I was a packer. I wanted to be a forklift operator so I could make more money. Then my kids could have a comfortable life. Young people today are different. They don't care. [Shakes his head disapprovingly.] But when they get older they'll understand. Don't look down on this job.
I lead a regular life. I go to bed by nine-thirty. I usually wake up at five. I usually arrive at work by six. I start working right away. I plan the whole day's work before most people get in. It's not a nine-to-five job. I don't do any outside exercise. The job gives us lots of exercise. We're always running around. I see my job as a kind of exercise. It's my interest. I don't work because I have to anymore, and I'm happy to share my experience with young people. It's an unusual job. Anyone can do it, even if you're well educated.
Not all countries require forklift operators to have licenses. It depends on the culture. A license doesn't mean you can operate a forklift well. A license isn't that important. In Taiwan, people sometimes ask for your license because they don't believe that you can actually operate a forklift. It's easy to find out. Just give him a test. In Taiwan, it's not compulsory to have a license.
Your pay depends on your skill. Some guys get NT$60,000 [US$2,222] per month because they're really good. They can operate small and big forklifts. It takes more skill to operate a big forklift. You don't need a good education. But if you want to be an operator with a world-view, you must know English. You have to compete with others in the market. Reading labels on crates, filling out customs forms, and communicating with customers often requires English. Don't be easily satisfied with yourself. When I teach people, I encourage them to learn as much as they can.
How long will I do this? Not indefinitely. If I have the energy, I'll do it as long as I can. [Smiles.] I would like to pass my skill on to others. When I wanted to learn from the old masters, it was simply out of the question. Teach yourself. That was the answer I got. If you have skills, you can always make a living. Show people your skills. If you can make crates, pack, operate a forklift, if you know about shipping, of course people will hire you. If you can't do that, what else can you do? Try to learn as much as you can. If you look at your work as an interest, time passes easily.