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Pallet Jack Operator Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real pallet jack operator resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

  • Use automate systems and RF units to pull, put away and load customer product, in addition to managing inventory
  • Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
  • Promote to pallet jack operator for re-hang area
  • Operate pallet jack move material through facility and perform routine maintenance on equipment
  • Comply with all OSHA and MSDS standards.
  • Comply with all OSHA and MSDS standards by reporting quality variances.
  • Certify cherry picker operator / pull orders and putaway

Pallet Jack Operator Job Description

When it comes to understanding what a pallet jack operator does, you may be wondering, "should I become a pallet jack operator?" The data included in this section may help you decide. Compared to other jobs, pallet jack operators have a growth rate described as "as fast as average" at 4% between the years 2018 - 2028, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, the number of pallet jack operator opportunities that are predicted to open up by 2028 is 32,600.

Pallet jack operators average about $16.39 an hour, which makes the pallet jack operator annual salary $34,098. Additionally, pallet jack operators are known to earn anywhere from $28,000 to $40,000 a year. This means that the top-earning pallet jack operators make $10,000 more than the lowest earning ones.

It's hard work to become a pallet jack operator, but even the most dedicated employees consider switching careers from time to time. Whether you're interested in a more challenging position or just looking for a fresh start, we've compiled extensive information on becoming a forklift, lift driver, warehouse labour, and forklift driver.

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Pallet Jack Operator Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 33% of Pallet Jack Operators are proficient in Pallets, Electric Pallet Jack, and Safety Regulations. They’re also known for soft skills such as Alertness, Communication skills, and Coordination.

We break down the percentage of Pallet Jack Operators that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Pallets, 33%

    Operated Forklift and Pallet machines with accurate and dependable visibility and followed safety and warehouse procedures.

  • Electric Pallet Jack, 23%

    Operated an electric pallet jack*Selected and stacked products quickly and effectively*Maintained production in a timely and professional manner

  • Safety Regulations, 6%

    train Staff on product knowledge, pool water testing, customer service, safety Regulations.

  • RF Scanner, 6%

    Picked orders for shipment using RF scanner and operating electric ride on pallet Jack.

  • Basic Math, 6%

    Apply basic mathematical concepts such as adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing and knowledge of weights and measures.

  • Warehouse Environment, 3%

    operated machinery and practiced safety precautions in a warehouse environment.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Pallet Jack Operator Resume templates

Build a professional Pallet Jack Operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Pallet Jack Operator resume.

Pallet Jack Operator Resume
Pallet Jack Operator Resume
Pallet Jack Operator Resume
Pallet Jack Operator Resume
Pallet Jack Operator Resume
Pallet Jack Operator Resume
Pallet Jack Operator Resume
Pallet Jack Operator Resume
Pallet Jack Operator Resume
Pallet Jack Operator Resume
Pallet Jack Operator Resume
Pallet Jack Operator Resume
Pallet Jack Operator Resume
Pallet Jack Operator Resume
Pallet Jack Operator Resume
Pallet Jack Operator Resume

Most pallet jack operators list "pallets," "electric pallet jack," and "safety regulations" as skills on their resumes. We go into more details on the most important pallet jack operator responsibilities here:

  • Alertness can be considered to be the most important personality trait for a pallet jack operator to have. According to a pallet jack operator resume, "material moving machine operators must be aware of their surroundings while operating machinery." Pallet jack operators are able to use alertness in the following example we gathered from a resume: "load and unload trucks and organize the warehouse skills used organization, fork lift skills, alertness, attention to details"
  • While it may not be the most important skill, we found that many pallet jack operator duties rely on communication skills. This example from a pallet jack operator explains why: "material moving machine operators signal and direct workers to load and unload material." This resume example is just one of many ways pallet jack operators are able to utilize communication skills: "utilized sit-down forklifts to pick and put away finished product skills used multi-tasking, communication, detail oriented"
  • Coordination is also an important skill for pallet jack operators to have. This example of how pallet jack operators use this skill comes from a pallet jack operator resume, "material moving machine operators should have steady hands and feet to guide and control heavy machinery precisely" Read this excerpt from a resume to understand how vital it is to their everyday roles and responsibilities, "warehouse coordination inventory controls feed assembly line"
  • A pallet jack operator responsibilities sometimes require "mechanical skills." The responsibilities that rely on this skills are shown by this resume excerpt: "material moving machine operators make minor adjustments to their machines and perform basic maintenance on them." This resume example shows how this skill is used by pallet jack operators: "check and maintain safety operating systems of a 150 car lift, including mechanical and computer systems. "
  • Yet another important skill that a pallet jack operator must demonstrate is "visual ability." Material moving machine operators must be able to see clearly where they are driving or what they are moving This is clearly demonstrated in this example from a pallet jack operator who stated: "helped bring some ideas learned at gm to costco, including visual management and some of gm safety standards/procedures. "
  • See the full list of pallet jack operator skills.

    The pallet jack operators who went onto college to earn a more in-depth education generally studied business and general studies, while a small population of pallet jack operators studied criminal justice and automotive technology.

    When you're ready to become a pallet jack operator, you might wonder which companies hire pallet jack operators. According to our research through pallet jack operator resumes, pallet jack operators are mostly hired by Randstad North America, Inc., ProLogistix, and Automation Personnel Services. Now is a good time to apply as Randstad North America, Inc. has 10 pallet jack operators job openings, and there are 7 at ProLogistix and 6 at Automation Personnel Services.

    If you're interested in companies where pallet jack operators make the most money, you'll want to apply for positions at Cargill, BJ's Wholesale Club, and C&S; Wholesale Grocers. We found that at Cargill, the average pallet jack operator salary is $39,395. Whereas at BJ's Wholesale Club, pallet jack operators earn roughly $37,474. And at C&S; Wholesale Grocers, they make an average salary of $37,148.

    View more details on pallet jack operator salaries across the United States.

    Some other companies you might be interested in as a pallet jack operator include Walmart, The Home Depot, and Vail Resorts. These three companies were found to hire the most pallet jack operators from the top 100 U.S. educational institutions.

    For the most part, pallet jack operators make their living in the professional and internet industries. Pallet jack operators tend to make the most in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $36,680. The pallet jack operator annual salary in the energy and hospitality industries generally make $35,982 and $35,847 respectively. Additionally, pallet jack operators who work in the manufacturing industry make 14.1% more than pallet jack operators in the agriculture Industry.

    The three companies that hire the most prestigious pallet jack operators are:

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    What Forklifts Do

    The primary job of a forklift operator is to operate and manage forklifts used for moving, locating, relocating, stacking, and counting merchandise in various settings, such as construction sites and warehouses. As a forklift operator, you will unload shipments properly and safely, and stack and store them in their designated areas. In addition, you will need to report any quality variances and assist in physical inventories. Other duties that you may perform include ensuring that stock rotation is done properly, inspecting and performing preventative maintenance of forklift and other equipment, and ensuring that inventory security and control are maintained.

    In this section, we compare the average pallet jack operator annual salary with that of a forklift. Typically, forklifts earn a $2,083 lower salary than pallet jack operators earn annually.

    Even though pallet jack operators and forklifts have vast differences in their careers, a few of the skills required to do both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require pallets, electric pallet jack, and safety regulations in the day-to-day roles.

    There are some key differences in responsibilities as well. For example, a pallet jack operator responsibilities require skills like "hand trucks," "empty pallets," "quality standards," and "safety procedures." Meanwhile a typical forklift has skills in areas such as "shipping receiving," "math," "osha," and "work ethic." This difference in skills reveals how truly different these two careers really are.

    Forklifts tend to make the most money in the transportation industry by averaging a salary of $34,824. In contrast, pallet jack operators make the biggest average salary of $36,680 in the manufacturing industry.

    Forklifts tend to reach similar levels of education than pallet jack operators. In fact, forklifts are 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

    What Are The Duties Of a Lift Driver?

    A lift driver is responsible for operating warehouse machines and vehicles, especially on loading and unloading items from distribution trucks and transporting the merchandise to different parts of the warehouse. Lift drivers inspect the efficiency and reliability of the machines, ensuring its operational and optimal performance to avoid production delays. They also verify the number of products for distribution according to the order requests and shipment details. A lift driver must be highly-organized, as well as having excellent time-management skills to perform duties and meet strict production schedules.

    Now we're going to look at the lift driver profession. On average, lift drivers earn a $359 higher salary than pallet jack operators a year.

    Not everything about these jobs is different. Take their skills, for example. Pallet jack operators and lift drivers both include similar skills like "pallets," "electric pallet jack," and "safety regulations" on their resumes.

    But both careers also use different skills, according to real pallet jack operator resumes. While pallet jack operator responsibilities can utilize skills like "basic math," "warehouse environment," "quality standards," and "safety procedures," some lift drivers use skills like "fork-lift," "safety standards," "safety rules," and "unload materials."

    It's been discovered that lift drivers earn higher salaries compared to pallet jack operators, but we wanted to find out where lift drivers earned the most pay. The answer? The automotive industry. The average salary in the industry is $38,145. Additionally, pallet jack operators earn the highest paychecks in the manufacturing with an average salary of $36,680.

    On the topic of education, lift drivers earn similar levels of education than pallet jack operators. In general, they're 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

    How a Warehouse Labour Compares

    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.

    Let's now take a look at the warehouse labour profession. On average, these workers make lower salaries than pallet jack operators with a $2,352 difference per year.

    Using pallet jack operators and warehouse labours resumes, we found that both professions have similar skills such as "pallets," "electric pallet jack," and "safety regulations," but the other skills required are very different.

    There are many key differences between these two careers as shown by resumes from each profession. Some of those differences include the skills required to complete responsibilities within each role. As an example of this, a pallet jack operator is likely to be skilled in "rf scanner," "warehouse environment," "selector," and "empty pallets," while a typical warehouse labour is skilled in "customer service," "osha," "cleanliness," and "math."

    Interestingly enough, warehouse labours earn the most pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $33,085. As mentioned previously, pallet jack operators highest annual salary comes from the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $36,680.

    Warehouse labours are known to earn similar educational levels when compared to pallet jack operators. Additionally, they're 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

    Description Of a Forklift Driver

    A forklift operator is responsible for managing and operating industrial trucks and machines to ensure its performance safety and stability. Forklift operators' duties include safely handling of deliveries, securely moving items to storage areas, monitoring inventories and supplies, running diagnostic tests, reporting inspected malfunctions and deficiencies, performing basic troubleshooting, and adhering to safety procedures. It is a requirement that a forklift operator must have excellent time-management skills, as well as the ability to multi-task for daily operations.

    Now, we'll look at forklift drivers, who generally average a lower pay when compared to pallet jack operators annual salary. In fact, the difference is about $622 per year.

    While their salaries may vary, pallet jack operators and forklift drivers both use similar skills to perform their jobs. Resumes from both professions include skills like "pallets," "electric pallet jack," and "safety regulations. "

    While some skills are shared by these professions, there are some differences to note. "basic math," "warehouse environment," "selector," and "order sheets" are skills that have shown up on pallet jack operators resumes. Additionally, forklift driver uses skills like safety standards, forks, drive forklift, and unload materials on their resumes.

    Forklift drivers earn a higher salary in the manufacturing industry with an average of $38,078. Whereas, pallet jack operators earn the highest salary in the manufacturing industry.

    The average resume of forklift drivers showed that they earn similar levels of education to pallet jack operators. So much so that the likelihood of them earning a Master's Degree is 0.1% more. Additionally, they're less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.3%.