Q&A for How to Become a Certified Forklift Driver

Yes, a forklift certification is usually issued by an employer after prerequisite training has been completed.

The course duration of becoming a forklift driver all depend on your location -- some will take only a day or two, others may take several weeks. The cost can be anything from $300 - $1000 depending on your country, training provider, and whether you can be subsidized for your course by the government.

There are many, many different types of forklifts. Some popular ones include: - Standard Counterbalance Forklift (LPG, Petrol, Diesel, or Electric) - Reach Forklift (moving carriage type, or moving mast type, most reach forklifts are electric and designed for indoors use only) - Double Deep Reach Forklift - Heavy Duty Forklift (usually diesel, lift capacities range from 10 - 50 tons) - Articulated Forklift (other wise known as "Bendi Forklift") Many more types of specialty forklifts exist, these are just a few of the popular types.

Go online to find a forklift class near you.

Most likely, as the UK in general usually doesn't recognize forklift licenses from other countries. There needs to be documented proof of training in the UK, which can be in-house at the company you work for or off-site by an independent testing contractor.

While reading, watching videos, and other forms of study may help you become familiar with a forklift, operation ,much like learning to drive a car, is largely experience based. It takes many hours of practice operating a forklift to become proficient. skills such as tilt control, stacking pallets, handing unstable loads, driving on uneven ground, handling "thin pallets", and aisle use, and many other skills, take experience and practice to do correctly and safely.

It depends on your workplace, and workplace OH&S / work policies. You will usually be advised to have 2 people lifting the full tank of propane onto the forklift to change the gas bottle, however, should the situation arise, ideally you should be strong enough to be able to lift the propane tank by yourself. In any case, it most likely will not be a condition of your Forklift Licence Certification or training. However, it is definitely an important skill to possess.

To officially be able to drive a forklift, you must be 18 years of age or older.

This can be found by searching online or even by asking other employees or supervisors. Many will be more than happy to lend a hand and give you a phone number or contact details of the training location they know of or may have attended in the past.

Your best bet would be a Google search for "forklift training in (your location)".

Unfortunately not. Most employers hiring forklift operators ask for at least 6 months to 2 years forklift operating experience, depending on the job roles. If you are looking for forklift operating experience, your best bet is to apply for a packer or laborer job with a forklift licence, which will let you drive a forklift occasionally to build up experience gradually. Later on, you can always apply for a dedicated forklift operator job once you have the experience built up.

Search online or on Google Maps for "Forklift Licence South Africa" and compare companies, locations, and prices for which is best for you. There are several around, including ones near Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban.

As long as you have the appropriate travel/visa documents all arranged, In Canada and the United States, there is no such thing as a Forklift License. A Forklift Certification is used instead, with training provided at independent training organizations all over the country. You can access some from here: forkliftlicenseguide.com/canada .

Depending on your course taken and region, you likely will only need about 2 - 3 days maximum to get your certification. You should be made aware of this by the training company before enrolling in your course.

Usually not. If you have a forklift licence, then you already have an in-demand licence and skill that can be used in many industries such as warehousing, manufacturing, events, construction, agriculture, and mining, just to name a few. If you have no previous warehouse experience at all, a manual handling certificate may assist you to get a warehousing job; however, most warehouse jobs can be obtained without having any sort of manual handling or formal warehouse training certificate.

Ask your employer or inquire with your local government's health and safety/licencing regulatory body - for example in the USA, this is OSHA. They will be able to best advise you on whether or not your certification from the military is still valid in your country.

Ask around your co-workers and supervisors to see what advice they may have - In some cases there are job roles as you mention - Forklift Operator levels 1, 2, 3, etc. These levels usually decide your salary/pay depending on your qualifications and time spent in your role/the company, higher levels requiring more years in your role and a greater scope of tasks to be completed. Usually these are attained through skill and experience in your role, not to mention several years in the role/workplace. Training and qualifications in the logistics field may help, but that is for more supervisory/management/inventory roles rather than forklift driving.

Not usually. In USA, Canada, and generally the rest of the Western world, the minimum age required to operate forklifts is 18 years old. You can always check with your workplace, supervisors, local safety and licencing authorities to check, there is a small chance you could be eligible to apply for a special exemption / permit (if one exists in your country). If you are not already employed in a workplace, it is unlikely they will allow you to operate forklifts under the age of 18.