What is the work like?
As a forklift truck operator, it would be your job to load and unload goods deliveries, and move them to and from storage areas in a warehouse or depot.
Your main duties would include:
- loading and unloading goods from vehicles such as lorries or aircraft
- moving goods packed on pallets or in crates around the storage facility
- stacking goods in the correct storage bays, following stock control instructions
- checking loads are secure
- stacking empty pallets
- performing daily equipment checks, for example recharging the truck’s battery
- helping to load and unload trucks by hand where necessary
- performing other warehouse tasks like packing.
You could work with various machines including counter-balance trucks, telescopic handlers, side-loading trucks and pedestrian-controlled pallet lifting equipment.
What qualifications and experience will employers look for?
You do not usually need qualifications to work as a forklift truck driver. You must complete approved forklift training before you can use a truck, but this will usually be provided by your employer.
Previous warehouse or depot experience will give you an advantage when applying for jobs, and basic maths skills would be useful for working out weights and distances.
The minimum age to start training is 16. If you operate a forklift truck on a public road, traffic legislation applies and you must hold a valid driving licence. You may also need a driving licence and your own vehicle to get to work when shift start times are not covered by public transport.
You may be able to get into this career through an Apprenticeship in distribution, warehousing and storage. The range of Apprenticeships available in your area will depend on the local jobs market and the types of skills employers need from their workers. For more information on Apprenticeships, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk.
If you are out of work, there may be back-to-work training schemes running in your area, which could include forklift training. You may have to satisfy certain eligibility conditions. Contact your local Jobcentre Plus office for more details.
For more details about working in the storage and distribution industries, visit the Skills for Logistics website.
What further training and development can I do?
Once you start working, your employer will provide you with training so that you can use a forklift truck safely.
Your training would last three to five days and would take place in a training centre or on your employer’s premises. It would combine theory with practical exercises, leading to a test which covers:
- equipment checks
- manoeuvring in confined spaces with and without a load
- stacking and unloading items at different heights.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) approves six organisations to monitor and accredit forklift training providers:
- Association of Industrial Truck Trainers (AITT)
- ConstructionSkills
- Lantra Awards
- National Plant Operators Registration Scheme Ltd
- Road Transport Industry Training Board (RTITB) Ltd
- Independent Training Standards Scheme and Register (ITSSAR).
For more information, visit the HSE website.
Some of the training providers also offer forklift instructor training courses for more experienced staff. These courses cover health and safety legislation, training and assessment methods, and report writing.
You may need to take refresher training and be re-assessed from time to time to keep your skills up to date. You would need to take further training if you want to work on different kinds of forklift truck.
Your employer may also give you the chance to gain work-based qualifications, such as:
- NVQ levels 1 and 2 in Specialised Plant and Machinery Operations (Lifting and Transferring)
- NVQ Level 3 in Controlling Lifting Operations
- NVQ Level 2 in Warehousing and Storage.
All of these include forklift training options.
What salary and other benefits can I expect?
- Starting salaries can be between £12,000 and £13,000 a year.
- Experienced operators can earn from £14,000 to £22,000 a year.
Operators may receive shift or night work allowances, and bonus schemes may apply.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
What are the hours and working conditions?
You would normally work between 37 and 45 hours a week. Shiftwork, including nights, is common and overtime is often available.
You would work mainly indoors in a warehouse or factory setting, and outdoors in a yard, port or airport.
What skills and knowledge will I need?
- a responsible and mature attitude to work
- the ability to work quickly, especially during busy periods
- good physical coordination to operate a truck
- the ability to assess weights and judge distances and heights
- the ability to follow written instructions and keep records
- an awareness of health and safety.
What opportunities are there?
You could find work in factories, retail warehouses and stores, goods yards, ports and airports, and haulage depots.
Your promotion options include becoming a shift supervisor or team leader. With experience and further training, you could work as a forklift instructor or maintenance engineer.
Alternatively, you could transfer to related industries like construction or logistics, to become a construction plant operator or (with further training), an LGV driver.
Vacancies are advertised with Jobcentre Plus, recruitment agencies and in the local and national press.