Annual Salary
£23,000 to £32,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Logistics or Transport or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Logistics or Transport or go back to all job sectors
Forklift drivers move, load and unload goods in warehouses, depots, ports and airports.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on shifts
There will be
0.3% fewer Forklift driver jobs in 2029.
As a forklift driver, you would:
You may need to wear protective clothing.
You could work in a warehouse, on a construction site, at a port, at an airport or in a factory.
Your working environment may be physically demanding.
You can get into this job through:
You could do a forklift truck operations training course at a college, which would teach you some of the skills you need in this job.
You could apply to do a Supply Chain Warehouse Operative Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.
You should check with the company you apply to whether their apprenticeship includes forklift training.
You can apply directly for jobs. Some employers may ask for GCSEs, including English and maths.
You'll have an advantage if you've completed forklift training, though your employer may put you through training when you start work.
Experience of loading and unloading goods and materials in a warehouse, in freight transport or on a building site would be useful.
Make sure you get a copy of your forklift training completion certificate so you can use it for job applications. Unlike a driving licence, there is no forklift licence as such, though some job adverts may refer to the completion certificate as a 'licence'.
You can find out more about working as a forklift driver in construction from Go Construct.
You can find details of approved forklift training providers through the Accrediting Bodies Association - Workplace Transport.
Your employer may put you through training to operate other types of lifting equipment like telescopic handlers.
With experience and further training, you could become a:shift supervisor, team leader or warehouse manager; forklift driver instructor; maintenance engineer
You could also move into other industries, like construction, and train to be a plant operator, or logistics, to work as an HGV driver.
You'll need: