Transport and logistics

Forklift operator CV: example and template

This example is for forklift operators in warehouses, distribution centres, factories and builders' yards, and for people who have just finished the course and are looking for their first job.

In this job the employer looks at your licence first, then at the types of trucks and the storage height. We show you how to describe this on your CV so that everything is visible at once.

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Example CV: forklift operator

All the details in this example are fictional. Treat it as a model of layout and wording, and replace the content with your own experience.

Łukasz Kamiński

Forklift operator

Strykow +48 123 456 789 lukasz.kaminski@example.com

Professional profile

Forklift operator with 6 years of experience in a distribution centre. I work on counterbalance forklifts and reach trucks in high-bay storage up to 11 m. I use a scanner and a WMS and take care of safety and order in my work area.

Work experience

Forklift operator, reach truck

02.2021 - present

Distribution centre, Strykow

Putting away and retrieving pallets on high-bay racking up to 11 m.
Unloading and loading up to 12 trailers per shift.
Working with a scanner and a WMS: receiving, transfers, stocktaking.
Daily truck checks before work and entries in the truck log.
Training new operators in a team of 8.

Warehouse worker, counterbalance forklift operator

04.2018 - 01.2021

Building materials wholesaler, Lodz

Unloading deliveries with an LPG counterbalance forklift, including changing gas cylinders.
Picking orders and handing goods over to customers.
Storing goods in the yard and in the warehouse.

Education

Warehouse and logistics worker

2014 - 2017

Vocational school in Lodz

Skills

Counterbalance forklift: electric and LPG
Reach truck, high-bay storage up to 11 m
Electric pallet truck
Scanner and WMS
Loading and securing trailers
Stocktaking

Licences

UDT licence, category I WJO
Changing LPG cylinders in forklifts
Warehouse health and safety training

Languages

English: A2

Additional information

Three-shift work
Category B driving licence

I hereby consent to the processing of my personal data for the purposes necessary to carry out the recruitment process, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 (GDPR).

How to write a forklift operator CV

Professional summary

Start with your UDT licence category, years of work and the types of trucks you operate. Add the storage height and the type of warehouse. These four pieces of information decide whether the recruiter calls you.

Forklift operator with a UDT category II WJO licence and 2 years of experience in a food warehouse. I work on a counterbalance forklift, use a scanner and store goods safely.

Experience: duties and achievements

Describe what equipment you have used, at what height and how many pallets or trailers you handled per shift. The employer wants to know whether you can operate a truck in high-bay storage from day one.

Weaker: Driving a forklift.

Better: Putting away pallets on racking up to 11 m with a reach truck, on a three-shift system.

Weaker: Unloading.

Better: Unloading and loading up to 12 trailers per shift, including securing the goods.

Weaker: Working in the system.

Better: Receiving, transfers and stocktaking in a WMS with a scanner.

Skills worth listing

List the types of trucks and equipment separately, because every warehouse uses different ones. Under personal skills, focus on safety and accuracy, because a mistake on a forklift is costly.

Professional skills

Electric and LPG counterbalance forklifts
Reach truck and high-bay storage
Side loader or order picker
Scanner and WMS
Loading trailers
Changing LPG cylinders

Personal skills

Attention to safety
Accuracy
Staying calm under time pressure
Shift work
Working with the warehouse team

UDT licences

Give the category of your UDT certificate, for example II WJO for standard forklifts or I WJO, which also covers telescopic trucks and trucks with a lifting operator cab. If the certificate has an expiry date, give it. Add changing LPG cylinders and on-the-job training separately.

Forklift operator CV with no experience

After the course and the UDT exam, say when you got your licence and what truck you trained on. Add any job in a warehouse, factory or unloading, even a short one.

Many warehouses hire operators straight after the course, starting them on simpler equipment. Stress that you are ready for shift work and for learning new trucks.

Tailoring your CV to the job offer

A distribution centre looks for high-bay storage and WMS, a builders' yard for outdoor work and LPG forklifts, and a factory for feeding the production line and working at its pace. Move what fits the job ad to the top.

The most common mistakes on a forklift operator CV

No UDT licence category, or just "forklift licence".
Leaving out the types of trucks and the storage height.
No mention of the WMS and the scanner.
Leaving out your readiness for shift work.
Listing licences that have expired without saying so.

Questions and answers

What should a forklift operator put on a CV?

The UDT licence category, types of trucks, storage height, type of warehouse, scanner and WMS skills, changing gas cylinders and readiness for shift work.

Which UDT category should I put on my CV?

The one on your certificate, for example II WJO or I WJO. If the certificate has an expiry date, give it.

Can you work as a forklift operator with no experience?

Yes, after the course and the UDT exam. On your CV, describe the course, the equipment you trained on and any warehouse work.

Create a forklift operator CV in the builder

In the CV Majster builder you enter your details step by step and see right away what the document looks like. You can copy the wording from this page and adapt it to yourself. The finished CV as a PDF costs a one-off PLN 5, with no subscription, and you see the preview before you pay.

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