How to become a fork-lift truck driver
Official title: Fork-lift truck drivers
Also called: Driver, Flt driver, Fork lifter, Truck driver, Hyster driver, Stacker driver, Stacker-driver, Internal driver, Scale car driver, Weigh car driver, Fork-lift driver, Fork lift driver
Fork-lift truck drivers operate fork-lift trucks in factories, warehouses, storerooms and other areas to transfer goods and materials.
Main tasks
- Operates controls to pick up load on forks
- Drives truck to unloading point and lowers forks to correct position on stack or ground
- Ensures that truck is connected to charger or is correctly refuelled for use
- Keeps records of work undertaken
- Cleans, oils and greases machine
How to become one
There are no formal academic entry requirements. A variety of vocational qualifications in Forklift Truck Operations are available at level 2.
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £31,279 a year The middle half earn £26,597 to £38,883.
- About 69,800 people work in this job now, and about 69,400 are projected by 2035. (-0.6%)
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Questions people ask
How do I become a fork-lift truck driver?
There are no formal academic entry requirements. A variety of vocational qualifications in Forklift Truck Operations are available at level 2.
How much does a fork-lift truck driver earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £31,279 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £26,597 to £38,883.
Is a fork-lift truck driver a growing career in the UK?
Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 69,800 people now and 69,400 later (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become a fork-lift truck driver?
Usually not. Only 7% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03