Forklift driver CV example (2026)

Writing the CV for the forklift driver role

Start your CV with your forklift certificates, per type of truck and with the year. Then state the number of years of experience and the environment you worked in, such as a distribution centre, a production hall or an outdoor yard.

In this role you work with valid certificates for the right trucks, and you operate the equipment safely and within the schedule. The type of environment and the height at which you store are details you can make concrete in your CV. Name them in the first lines.

What you do in this role

The work consists of loading and unloading trailers, moving pallets within the hall and storing goods on racking. Before the start of a shift you carry out the vehicle check according to the checklist, and any defects go in the logbook. You coordinate the order of the runs with the planner.

Keep the CV to one or two pages.

How your CV matches the advert

Read the advert and check which trucks, environment and heights the employer names. Only put certificates you currently hold on your CV. If a certificate has just expired, give the date of renewal or leave it off, so the reader does not have to guess.

The forklift, the reach truck and the heights at which you worked can all be named concretely in this role. Consider the environment too: a hall with fixed walkways calls for something different from an outdoor yard with changing weather. For each job, describe in one sentence what that environment demanded of you, so the reader sees your experience at a glance.

Check the trucks, the years and the names of the training centres. Then read your CV aloud and cut every sentence you cannot explain. A short, correct CV with the certificates at the top shows that you take the job seriously.

The inspection log and the daily checklist are the basis of safe work with equipment. Describe in your CV how you kept them and how you reported defects, with the workshop or the planner as your point of contact. That shows the reader you know the process, not just the certificate.

A pallet that is loaded wrongly poses a risk to the whole hall. Show in your CV that you checked the load before driving, for example by assessing the stability of the pallet or warning the planner. That sentence shows you look beyond your own vehicle.

A transport plan only works if the drivers and the planner understand each other well. Describe in your CV how you followed the plan, how you passed on a change and how you aligned with the planner on the order of the runs. That makes visible that you are part of the chain, not just the driver of one vehicle.

Which layout suits the forklift driver CV

Choose one column, clear headings and a standard font. Tables and text boxes can cause errors when software reads a CV.

Put your forklift certificates in their own block at the top, per type of truck and with the year. Use one column and a clean layout. Keep the job descriptions short, with three or four bullets per job. Put your driving licence in the same section as your certificates.

Save your CV as a PDF with a recognisable file name, such as firstname-surname-cv.pdf.

What to put on the forklift driver CV

Every CV contains at least your contact details, your work experience with dates, your education and certificates, and your skills and languages.

Name all your certificates per type of truck, with the year. For example forklift, reach truck and electric pallet truck. Describe what you loaded and unloaded, and in what kind of environment. Mention your daily vehicle check and your experience with storage at height. Name the heights if you know them, as they say something about the scale of your work.

Put your name at the top, with your town, email address and phone number. Your citizen service number (BSN), date of birth or marital status do not need to be on your CV.

Profile text: example (good and weak)

Below are two profile texts for the forklift driver, both written for a fictional person. You can copy the structure.

Experienced forklift driver with certificates for the forklift and the reach truck. I load and unload lorries safely and make sure the logistics schedule leaves on time. I check my equipment daily and report defects immediately. I enjoy working at a high pace in a busy distribution centre.

Forklift driver with six years of experience in distribution centres, with certificates for the forklift and the reach truck. I load and unload lorries safely, plan my order of runs with the planner and check my equipment at every shift. I like working in a busy hall at a high pace and keeping an overview even when it gets hectic. I am looking for a role in which my safety awareness and my experience with high-level storage count.

The first example names the certificates, the environment and the tasks. The second names the years, the trucks and the duties, and what the candidate is looking for. The weak version says the person works hard, but not how. A concrete task, such as the daily vehicle check, says more.

Weak version: “I am an experienced forklift driver who works hard, is reliable and is always on time for work.”

A profile text is short: four or five sentences. Write in the first person and say what you do, what you are good at and what you are looking for.

Making your work experience stand out

The example bullet points below belong to a fictional example CV. The figures are illustrative: use only your own figures, and only if they are accurate.

Start each bullet with an action word and state the result, not only the task.

• Loading and unloading of trailers in a distribution centre of 12,000 square metres, with the forklift and the reach truck.
• Daily vehicle check according to the checklist, with the inspection log kept up to date; defects reported directly to the workshop supervisor.
• Cooperation with the planner on the order of runs, so trailers were ready within the time window.
• Pallets stored up to six metres high on racking, with correct load estimation and a safe clearance.
• New drivers trained on the walkways and the safety rules of the hall.
• Three years without accidents or damage, with an annual refresher on safety training.

For each job, give the job title, employer, place and period, and put your current job at the top.

No work experience?

Have no forklift experience yet? A recognised forklift course goes in the certificates section, with the year you took it. Also name your experience with pallets, transport or warehouse work, even if that was a part-time job. A category C driving licence shows you can handle larger vehicles.

Action words for your CV

Action words make your work concrete. A few that work well on a CV:

• Organised
• Supervised
• Improved
• Monitored
• Planned
• Recorded
• Consulted
• Delivered
• Coordinated
• Ensured

Use each word only once per job, and only if it matches your work.

Education on your CV

Put your mbo (senior secondary vocational education) course in logistics or engineering at the top, with the level and the school, for example mbo logistics at level 3. Also list the forklift course with the institution that provided it, so it is clear how you obtained the certificate.

List older education more briefly, so that recent work gets more space.

Skills on the forklift driver CV

Hard skills

• Forklift and reach truck
• Pallet and stock control
• Route planning
• Workplace safety

Soft skills

• Concentration during long shifts
• Working safely, even when it is busy
• Communicating with colleagues through hand signals and the radio
• Deciding independently on the loading order
• Honestly reporting defects and incidents

Show that you pay attention to safety with a situation: a defect you reported, or a pallet you did not lift because the load was wrongly placed. That example says more than the word reliable.

Choose five to eight hard skills that you currently use.

Give an example from your work for Forklift and reach truck, Pallet and stock control, Route planning and Workplace safety.

Certificates, languages and hobbies

The forklift certificate is the most important proof for this role. State which trucks you are authorised to drive and the year of the training or renewal, for example forklift and reach truck in 2018. Name the accredited training centre that issued the certificate. Add a VCA certificate, as it shows your safety awareness. A course on safety on site or at the loading bay also counts.

Put a certificate on your CV if it fits the role.

• Forklift and reach truck certificate (Accredited training centre, 2018)

Languages in this example: Dutch (vloeiend), Arabic (moedertaal), English (basis).

Example forklift driver CV

This is how the example looks in a real template. It is a starting point: take over the structure, not the text.

The fictional candidate is called Mohamed El Amrani and lives in Rotterdam. The example carries the headline: Forklift driver · forklift and reach truck.

Common mistakes on the forklift driver CV

• Naming the certificate without the type of truck. “Forklift certificate” is too vague; write whether it also covers the reach truck or the electric pallet truck.
• Not giving the year of the certificate. Then it is not visible whether it is still valid.
• Not giving heights or load weights, even if you have experience with them.
• Listing only your job without saying in which environment you worked. An outdoor yard is different from a cold store.
• Leaving out your driving licence. It shows which equipment you are allowed to operate.

Check whether your certificates are still valid. An expired certificate on your CV leads to questions in the interview.

Key points

• Put the trucks you are authorised for in the title or directly beneath it, so they are visible at a glance.
• Name the height or volume you worked with, such as the storage height or the size of the hall.
• Show that you work safely with a concrete check: the vehicle check, the logbook and the reporting of defects.
• State your driving licence and whether you worked with a service vehicle or a lorry.

Read your CV aloud before you send it.