The Catlins Area School
Forklift Operator Kaitaraiwa Waka Uta
Forklift operators operate vehicles that have a lifting platform for shifting and stacking heavy articles such as pallets, bales, crates, containers or cartons.
Forklift operators may do some or all of the following:
- maintain forklifts
- operate forklifts in warehouses, construction sites and wharves
- ensure forklift loads are stable and safe
- fill in paperwork, such as delivery forms, and electronically record the movement of goods.
Physical Requirements
Forklift operators need to have good hand-eye co-ordination and reflexes, as well as good eyesight (with or without corrective lenses). They also need a good level of strength, as they may need to lift heavy products (up to 20 kilograms).
Useful Experience
Useful experience for forklift operators includes:
- warehouse and coldstore work
- stevedoring
- work as a loader-driver
- any driving work.
Experience driving heavy vehicles or any work in manufacturing, or transport and logistics is also helpful.
Personal Qualities
Forklift operators need to be:
- accurate
- co-ordinated
- careful and alert
- practical
- able to follow instructions.
Skills
Forklift operators need to have:
- good driving skills
- thorough understanding of the operation and limitations of a forklift
- ability to judge distances, weights and volumes
- knowledge of the code of practice for forklift operators, including health and safety regulations
- knowledge of the fuel requirements of different forklifts including diesel, LPG, CNG (compressed natural gas) and battery-operated models.
Conditions
Forklift operators:
- usually work regular business hours, but may work evenings and weekends as some warehouses are 24-hour operations
- may be required to work extra hours during busy periods
- work in warehouses, factories, coldstores, timber yards and shipping terminals
- work in most weather conditions.
Subject Recommendations
There are no specific secondary education requirements to become a forklift operator, but employers usually prefer you to have NCEA Level 1 with maths and English.
Forklift Operators can earn around $23-$24 per hour.
Pay for forklift operators depends on the industry they work in and their level of experience. However, they usually earn between minimum wage and $24 an hour.
Source: Hays Recruitment and Trade Me Jobs, 2018.
Forklift operators may progress to:
- work with heavier machinery such as 15-tonne forklifts or straddle carriers in ports
- work as dispatch co-ordinators or inventory controllers within the company they work for
- supervisory or management positions within the company they work for.
They may also set up their own businesses, or become forklift operator trainers.
Years Of Training
<1 year of training required.To become a forklift operator you need a Forklift Operator Certificate. The certificate shows that you have been trained according to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's code of practice.
- To operate a heavy forklift, you need to have a Class 2 driver's licence.
- To operate a forklift on a road or in a public space, you must have a Class 1 driver's licence with a forklift (F) endorsement.
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