What does a forklift driver do?

Warehouse machine operators perform various tasks for their employers. These include setting up, operating, monitoring, and troubleshooting machinery, inspecting parts for specifications and any potential damage, and reading and interpreting diagrams and blueprints to position and secure the machines. They are expected to communicate with other team members and provide support for continuous production. Most employers are looking to hire someone with knowledge of production and safety procedures, previous experience as a machine operator, and analytical skills.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a forklift driver are more likely to require skills like "pallets," "stand-up forklift," "forks," and "drive forklift." On the other hand, a job as a warehouse machine operator requires skills like "basic math," "shipping receiving," "forklift operation," and "warehouse operations." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Cherry pickers perform a safe and efficient operation of motorized lift vehicles in pulling customer order-based products. The cherry pickers manage different warehouse operating systems and associates to support processing and internal order logistics. They perform preventive maintenance on pallet packs, machines, cherry pickers, and forklifts. It is part of their job to count, verify, and check documents for completeness and accuracy. The skills to develop for this job include warehouse environment, clamp, and pallet jack operations.

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that forklift driver responsibilities requires skills like "safety standards," "forks," "drive forklift," and "inbound shipments." But a cherry picker operator might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "cherry-picker," "cherry pickers," "work ethic," and "warehouse environment."

Warehouse labour workers are responsible for organizing shipment details by processing the correct quantity of orders, ensuring that the items are free from any defects and mislabeling. Warehouse labourers prepare the items for packaging efficiently, update the inventory records, and escalate production discrepancy to the management for immediate resolution. They should also strictly adhere to the production area's safety regulations, especially on loading and unloading items, and moving each package to appropriate shelves using warehouse equipment.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from forklift driver resumes include skills like "forks," "drive forklift," "rf scanner," and "unload materials," whereas a warehouse labour is more likely to list skills in "customer service," "basic math," "osha," and "cleanliness. "

A warehouse material handler is responsible for assisting warehouse operations, moving merchandise from one place to another, labeling products, performing quality check procedures, packaging goods, and loading and unloading items from distribution vehicles. Warehouse material handlers operate warehouse tools and equipment for production, as well as ensuring the adequacy of stock inventory needed for orders and deliveries. A warehouse material handler also updates product information on the database and do administrative tasks, such as writing reports and responding to customers' inquiries and concerns.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between forklift drivers and material handler/warehouses, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a forklift driver might have more use for skills like "drive forklift," "inbound shipments," "clamp truck," and "store merchandise." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of material handler/warehouses require skills like "work ethic," "warehouse environment," "supply support," and "ladders. "