Forklift driver duties combine machine operation with stock handling and a significant safety responsibility. A forklift is one of the most common causes of serious injury in a warehouse, so the role is defined as much by the checks and discipline around the machine as by the moving of pallets. This page sets out what a forklift driver does day to day, the certification and skills employers require, and how to phrase these duties on a CV or in a job description.
What Does a Forklift Driver Do?
A forklift driver operates a powered lift truck to move, stack and retrieve goods within a warehouse, factory, distribution centre or yard. The work covers offloading incoming vehicles, putting stock away into racking, retrieving pallets for picking or dispatch, and loading outbound vehicles. Between those tasks the driver is responsible for the safe condition of the machine and for the safety of everyone working around it.
In South Africa, forklift operation falls under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its driven machinery regulations. Operators must be trained and formally authorised by their employer to operate the specific class of machine they use, and employers are required to keep that authorisation current. A licence obtained for a counterbalance truck does not automatically cover a reach truck or an order picker.
The role sits close to several others in the warehouse, and many employers expect a forklift driver to move between picking, stacking and general warehouse work as volumes dictate. For the wider set of roles in this environment see General Worker Logistics Duties.
Key Forklift Driver Duties and Responsibilities
- Completing daily pre-use inspections of the forklift and recording the outcome.
- Reporting mechanical defects and removing unsafe machines from service.
- Offloading incoming delivery vehicles and staging stock for receiving checks.
- Putting stock away into designated racking locations accurately.
- Retrieving pallets and stock for picking, production or dispatch.
- Loading outbound vehicles in the correct sequence and weight distribution.
- Stacking loads within the rated capacity of the machine and the racking.
- Observing load charts and never exceeding the rated capacity at a given height.
- Operating within designated traffic routes and observing pedestrian separation.
- Wearing the required personal protective equipment at all times.
- Charging or refuelling the machine safely and correctly at shift end.
- Assisting with stock counts and cycle counts where racking access is required.
- Keeping aisles, racking bays and charging areas clear and tidy.
- Reporting damage to stock, racking or the building immediately.
The accountability that matters most is safety. A forklift driver is expected to refuse to operate a defective machine, to stop when a pedestrian enters the operating area, and to raise racking damage rather than work around it. Employers treat these as non-negotiable, and disciplinary processes in warehousing frequently centre on them.
Daily Forklift Driver Duties
- Carrying out and signing off a pre-use inspection covering forks, mast, chains, tyres, brakes, horn, lights and hydraulics.
- Checking the battery charge or fuel level and confirming the machine is fit for the shift.
- Offloading arriving vehicles and moving stock to the receiving area.
- Putting away received stock into system-directed or designated locations.
- Retrieving pallets for picking, replenishment or dispatch as instructed.
- Loading outbound vehicles according to the loading plan and drop sequence.
- Confirming quantities and locations on a handheld scanner or paperwork.
- Reporting any damaged stock, racking or machine faults found during the shift.
- Placing the machine on charge or refuelling it and completing the shift handover.
Forklift Driver Skills and Requirements
- A valid forklift operator certificate for the class of machine to be operated.
- Employer authorisation to operate, as required under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
- A medical fitness assessment where the employer requires one.
- Experience operating counterbalance, reach truck or order picker machines as applicable.
- Understanding of load charts, load centres and capacity at height.
- Ability to stack and retrieve accurately in narrow aisles and at height.
- Familiarity with warehouse management systems and handheld scanners.
- Basic numeracy for quantity checks and location confirmation.
- Awareness of racking safety and the signs of racking damage.
- Alertness, spatial judgment and consistent adherence to safety rules.
- Physical fitness for a shift-based role, including some manual handling.
- Reliability and punctuality, since shift handovers depend on it.
Employers often list additional requirements depending on the site, such as experience in cold storage, familiarity with a specific WMS, or the ability to operate more than one machine class.
Forklift Driver Duties for a CV
A forklift driver CV should make the certification, machine classes and warehouse environment obvious within the first few lines, because that is what screening is based on. Then use the duty bullets to show reliability, accuracy and a clean safety record.
- Operated counterbalance and reach truck forklifts across a twelve-metre-high racking warehouse.
- Completed daily pre-use inspections and reported defects, keeping machines compliant and available.
- Loaded and offloaded an average of fifteen vehicles per shift against fixed dispatch cut-offs.
- Put away and retrieved stock using a handheld scanner with a consistently low error rate.
- Maintained an incident-free operating record across three years of continuous warehouse work.
- Assisted with monthly stock counts by providing racking access and verifying high-level locations.
State the machine classes you are certified on and the expiry of your certificate. If you have worked in a specialised environment such as cold storage or hazardous goods, say so. For a closely related warehouse role see warehouse worker duties.
Forklift Driver Job Description Template
When writing the advert, name the machine class or classes required, because a candidate certified only on a counterbalance truck cannot legally operate a reach truck. State the racking height, the shift pattern and the environment, including whether it is ambient, chilled or frozen.
Be explicit about certification and authorisation requirements, and about who carries the cost of renewal. Specify whether the role includes general warehouse duties such as picking, packing or stock counting, since most forklift positions do and applicants should know before applying. Finally, state the safety expectations plainly, as they form part of the role rather than sitting alongside it.
FAQs
What are the main forklift driver duties?
The main duties are completing pre-use machine inspections, offloading and loading vehicles, putting stock away into racking, retrieving pallets for picking or dispatch, working within the rated capacity of the machine, observing pedestrian and traffic separation rules, and reporting defects or damage immediately.
What are examples of forklift driver duties?
Examples include carrying out and signing a daily pre-use inspection, offloading a container and staging stock for receiving, putting pallets away into system-directed racking locations, loading an outbound vehicle in drop sequence, and reporting damaged racking rather than continuing to use the bay.
How do forklift driver duties differ by workplace or seniority?
In smaller warehouses a forklift driver usually also picks, packs and does general warehouse work. In large distribution centres the role is more specialised and system-directed, often on a specific machine class. Cold storage, hazardous goods and high-bay narrow-aisle sites each add requirements and usually attract experienced operators.
How should forklift driver duties be written in a job description or CV?
On a CV, lead with your certification, the machine classes you operate and the environment you have worked in, then show reliability through volume and safety record. In a job description, name the machine class required, the racking height, the shift pattern, the environment and whether general warehouse duties are included.
Which related duties page should I read next?
For the broader warehouse role, read warehouse worker duties. For other roles in this cluster, browse General Worker Logistics Duties.