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| Fork lift truck driver in the warehouse chats with the supervisor |
The warehousing and logistics industry is one that is seeing a continuous increase in employment opportunities due to ever-increasing production and competition. The warehousing industry is booming and so are warehousing careers. Significant companies like Amazon and Doordash have been hiring in bulk across the country from New York to Los Angles and this is the best time to be a blue-collar worker in America.
In 2022, you can make a great career in American warehouses if you start right. A diploma or equivalent, or a vocational training certification like a forklift operator certificate can be very useful for you to get work in some of the most advanced warehouses in the country. Although prior certification is hardly ever a requirement to get a warehousing job, you should try to get any edge you can to beat the competition for warehousing jobs in companies like Amazon and Doordash.
What does a forklift operator do?
Forklifts are small industrial cars with a forked platform in front that can be raised and lowered to be slipped under cargo to lift and carry them. Forklift operators drive these industrial trucks to move heavy loads from one place to another. Almost all warehouse workers today have driven a forklift at some point in their career and forklift drivers are an essential part of the warehouse workforce today.
Why get a forklift certification?
If you are looking for blue-collar work, you are likely to be someone who is put off by the mere mention of studying, let alone getting a certification. You must be going ‘’ If I wanted to study, I could have just got a desk job’’. But, here’s the thing, a forklift driver certification doesn't really include much studying. Although it involves several hours of classroom instruction, it is hardly anything bookish/academic. It is mostly practical training and there’s absolutely no need to be intimidated or put off by the formal title of the course. Most forklift certifications take no more than a couple of days to complete and include only a few hours of classroom training in addition to practical, on-the-floor training with actual forklifts. There are even forklift certifications online where you can finish the entire course in an hour. However, certain institutions may even require you to take up to eight to ten hours of classroom training.
A forklift driver is the essence of the modern-day warehouse. In this day and age, if you have forklift driver credentials you can expect to have a field of opportunities for you in the warehousing and storage industry. Being a certified forklift operator would make you a preferred candidate in most warehouse job interviews.
You may still be wondering ‘’ do I NEED to get a forklift certification?’’. Well, the answer to that is Yes, the state and federal law require you to be certified to drive a forklift. As per the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA 1910.178 (i) (6), all persons need to be certified before operating a forklift. OSHA 29 CFR 1910. 178 (I) requires employers to provide forklift drivers with proper training for vehicle inspection and maintenance and also requires the forklift drivers to be at least eighteen years of age. It also makes the certification renewed or the certificate holder recertified after every three years.
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) is there to ensure that employers provide a safe and healthy work environment to workers in all respects and only OSHA-approved courses are valid to make you a certified forklift operator.
You can go for an online certification as well as an in-person one as long as it is OSHA-approved. Most of these courses include some classroom work, hands-on training, and a written test together with a practical evaluation. Here are some of the OSHA-approved courses you can check out on the web:
Commercial Driver License (CDL) by FMCSA
OSHA Safety Certificate by Delaware Tech
Operator Certification by CSDA
EPA Amusement Operators Safety Certification (EPA) by EPA
Certified Operator Class IV by ABC
Flagger (Instructor) NSC
First Aid, CPR, and AED Instructor by NSC
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