HGV and logistics driving
Forklift operator jobs
Moving pallets around a warehouse or yard on a counterbalance, reach or VNA truck, usually alongside picking duties.
This page is the guide. The 207 area pages below carry the published figures for each local authority, and the adverts live on this site right now.
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Forklift operator jobs across the UK
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Open adverts for Forklift operator jobs across the UK, as a plain list
What the published data covers
Adding up the published local figures across the 207 areas with data gives 422,340 on the measure this role is indexed by, which is employee jobs in warehousing and storage. The middle area records 800. That is arithmetic over local releases, not a national statistic, and areas the publisher withholds are simply absent from it.
The largest are Leicestershire at 17,000, West Northamptonshire at 14,000, Staffordshire at 13,000, Wakefield at 13,000, Kent at 12,000. Coverage runs across 11 regions of Scotland and England and Wales.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts employee jobs that exist in an area in 2024. It is not a count of vacancies, it is not a measure of demand, and it says nothing about how many roles are being advertised today.
Forklift operator: the full picture
Tickets and accrediting bodies
Employers look for current training on the specific truck type, accredited by a recognised body such as RTITB, ITSSAR, AITT or NPORS. A counterbalance ticket does not cover you for reach, and neither covers VNA.
There is no legal expiry date on a forklift certificate, but the accepted refresher interval is three to five years and most sites will not let you on a truck without one. Many run their own in-house conversion and assessment.
Almost every role also involves picking, so treat an advert that mentions only the truck as an advert that has left something out. The ticket is what gets you the interview.
The safety side of the job
Daily pre-use checks, pedestrian segregation, load stability and racking damage reporting are the parts of the role that keep people alive. A site that treats the daily check as a formality is telling you something about the rest of its operation.
Experienced operators who add VNA or bendi work, or who move into training and assessing, tend to find the pay follows. Both are worth asking about once you are established.
Before you apply
- A current forklift certificate for the truck type, such as counterbalance or reach
- Employers often accept RTITB or ITSSAR accredited training
- No formal school qualifications needed
- Right to work in the UK
Forklift operator jobs: common questions
What qualifications do I need to work as a forklift operator?
A current forklift certificate for the truck type, such as counterbalance or reach. Employers often accept RTITB or ITSSAR accredited training. No formal school qualifications needed. Right to work in the UK.
Where does AceLeads Jobs have published figures for forklift operator jobs?
In 207 county and unitary areas across England, Wales and Scotland, from the Business Register and Employment Survey. Northern Ireland is outside that release.
Do you decide who gets sent to an employer?
No. You read the adverts, you choose one, and you apply to that employer yourself. Nothing on this site forwards a person to a job they did not apply to, and no employer is given a list of people.
What does it cost to use?
Nothing, ever. It is always free for job seekers, and employers pay to advertise. There is no premium account, no paid profile and no fee of any kind on the job seeker side.