How to hire a forklift

How to hire a forklift, step by step

Here's a step-by-step forklift hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a forklift job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new forklift
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a forklift do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the forklift you need to hire. Certain forklift roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect forklift also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents forklift salaries for various positions.

   Type of Forklift	Description	Hourly rate
   Forklift	Material moving machine operators use machinery to transport various objects. Some operators move construction materials around building sites or excavate earth from a mine... Show more	$12-18
   Warehouse Machine Operator	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... Show more	$12-19
   Driver/Material Handler	Primarily, driver/material handlers help maintain the production and distribution of products through inventory pullout, production materials, and supplies delivery, and finished product staging. Material handlers manage the transport of equipment or ammunition and conduct the planning and execution functions for effective grind force training... Show more	$13-21

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Pallets
   • Sit-Down Forklift
   • Basic Math
   • Shipping Receiving
   • RF Scanner
   • Warehouse Environment
   • OSHA
   • Inventory Control
   • Safety Rules
   • Electric Pallet Jack
   • Cycle Counts
   • Industrial Trucks
   • Customer Orders
   • Load Trailers

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Provide a safe work environment following all company policy and OSHA safety procedures.
   • Clean and maintain the warehouse in compliance with OSHA safety has their period operate forklifts and other heavy machinery safely.
   • Prepare pallets by following procedures for stacking arrangement and properly tagging pallets.
   • Operate forklifts, lift beams, swivel-hooks and hoists.
   • Run and monitor extrusion processes of polymer products, using dip pan hoppers, x-hoppers and delivery processes.
   • Move inventory in support of logistics management.

   More forklift duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your forklift job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A forklift salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a forklift in Texas may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level forklift usually earns less than a senior-level forklift. Additionally, a forklift with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average forklift salary

   $15.39hourly

   $32,015 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level forklift salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average forklift salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	North Dakota	$40,890	$20
   2	Minnesota	$38,135	$18
   3	Oregon	$36,015	$17
   4	Colorado	$35,712	$17
   5	California	$35,538	$17
   6	Idaho	$35,346	$17
   7	Utah	$35,345	$17
   8	Illinois	$33,706	$16
   9	Pennsylvania	$33,139	$16
   10	Kansas	$33,007	$16
   11	Ohio	$32,502	$16
   12	Arizona	$32,337	$16
   13	Missouri	$32,181	$15
   14	Michigan	$31,952	$15
   15	Nebraska	$31,584	$15
   16	New Jersey	$31,572	$15
   17	Indiana	$31,124	$15
   18	Kentucky	$30,052	$14
   19	Tennessee	$29,945	$14
   20	Florida	$29,852	$14

   Average forklift salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Steel Dynamics	$42,386	$20.38	11
   2	Olympic Steel	$41,380	$19.89	1
   3	ADM	$39,971	$19.22	27
   4	Tyson Foods	$39,921	$19.19	11
   5	J.R. Simplot	$39,487	$18.98	7
   6	Golden State Foods	$39,326	$18.91
   7	Green Mountain Coffee Roasters	$39,127	$18.81
   8	Butterball	$38,894	$18.70	1
   9	Conagra Brands	$38,605	$18.56	23
   10	West Fraser	$38,010	$18.27	4
   11	Xpress Global Systems	$37,618	$18.09
   12	Shaw Industries	$37,181	$17.88	11
   13	Shoe Carnival	$36,703	$17.65	2
   14	International Paper	$36,577	$17.59	26
   15	Ryder System	$36,075	$17.34	173
   16	Lippert Components	$36,046	$17.33	7
   17	VisionCorp Rep	$35,601	$17.12	3
   18	Standard Motor Products	$35,444	$17.04
   19	1-800-Flowers.com	$35,419	$17.03
   20	True Value	$35,298	$16.97	1

4. Writing a forklift job description

   A good forklift job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a forklift job description:

   Forklift job description example

   We heard you knock!
   
   Forklift Operator (Production, Material Prep, Slabs & Bi-folds)
   
   Overview
   To adequately and efficiently transport product, raw materials, etc. from location to location within the manufacturing facility. Reads order, gathers ordered materials/doors manually or with forklift, sorts for proper stacking, applies place cards, stages for loading. Ensure all product is transported in a safe manner.
   Responsibilities
   Conduct pre-shift inspection of the forklift to ensure safety and operational compliance Fuel forklifts as required and performs safety checks on the lift Provide safe operation of forklift throughout the facility. Abide by all safety rules and regulations required with forklift operation Places pallets of finished door stacks on wrapper with forklift Pull all production wraps lines as required out of designated areas Required to mount and dismount forklift multiple times per day Separate all disposable material into the designated areas Must be able to work extended hours and overtime as needed both daily and on weekends if business need requires Position will require appropriate certification to operate equipment Operate forklift to load and/or move materials Supply production areas with needed materials from inventory Load/unload, lift, move, place, stack raw materials and doors Navigates throughout plant, including populated and small areas Supports the manufacturing process through inspection and aid to machine operators Inspect doors and make minor repairs Maintain a safe and clean work environment Performs any other duties as assigned
   Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:
   Has knowledge of commonly-used concepts, practices, and procedures within a particular field Read/interpret schedules/tickets/shipping documents Strong eye/hand coordination and ability to stand for long continuous hours Self-driven, accountable, high integrity, open communicator, strong work ethic Required to mount and dismount forklift multiple times per day Constant attention to detail and accuracy of material placement Ability to work independently and effectively in a team environment Solid verbal and written communication skills Strong analytical skills Ability to organize and maintain detailed records Ability to work well in a fast-paced environment and have the ability to multi-task Ability to lift to 50+ lbs.Regular attendance and timeliness is an essential function of the job in order to avoid having any disruptions in production and customer service Follow all operational and safety SOP's as written
   Qualifications
   High School Diploma or equivalent, preferred not required Prior forklift operation in manufacturing environment1-2 years of forklift experience with previous forklift certification, required
   
   We Help People Walk Through Walls

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right forklift for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your forklift job on Zippia to find and recruit forklift candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting forklifts requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new forklift

   Once you've decided on a perfect forklift candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new forklift. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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