Forklift drivers...how's the work? Good, bad, tolerable?

[Jeff7]

I'm thinking of getting a job doing forklift driving. I do only about an hour a day at Walmart right now (yeah, helluva job I got now), and I rather like the driving. It's easy, and I seem to be good at it, so I'm told. Of course, I don't know how you can be bad at it, but some people there find a way, hitting fences, running into stacks of pallets.
So anyway, I'm looking to get the hell out of this store, and maybe work for something like DSC Logistics, if anyone's ever heard of them - big warehouse, not climate controlled. I'm thinking of doing their rotating 4 and 3 day schedule (days on and off), 12hr shifts. Anyone have any words of wisdom on this? Thoughts on the nature of the work?

Neffers....if you must nef in the thread, go ahead. But please be reasonable.

 

[Ferocious]

I did it for several months many years ago.

It can be hard on the back actually.....but it was sorta fun.

I got to unload the semi's after they docked and got to know some truckers who were from out of state.

 

[Amused]

I did forklift work for Kimberly Clark during, and after college. As Ferocious says, it's a little hard on the back, and it tends to give you hemoroids. But other than that it's not bad at all. Shift work is a bitch, though. But it's not all that bad if you're young.

If you tend to gain weight, I suggest you start an exercise program right away. Forklift work can really pack on the pounds. It's almost as bad as desk work.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Amused
I did forklift work for Kimberly Clark during, and after college. As Ferocious says, it's a little hard on the back, and it tends to give you hemoroids. But other than that it's not bad at all. Shift work is a bitch, though. But it's not all that bad if you're young.

If you tend to gain weight, I suggest you start an exercise program right away. Forklift work can really pack on the pounds. It's almost as bad as desk work.

I doubt weight gain will be a problem. I'm one of them skinny computer geek types.
I gained like...10 whole pounds since high school up to 123 now. Stocking and pulling pallets at Walmart is the only exercise program I've ever been on. Granted, I do have greater lifting capacity than ever before - like, now I can lift a 21" monitor. Couldn't do that a few years ago, believe it or not.

 

[Jumpem]

It's an easy job, but the pay isn't good at all.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Jumpem
It's an easy job, but the pay isn't good at all.

Oh, I don't know. In 1989 I was making $15 an hour at Kimberly Clark driving a forklift.

Not great, but not bad for unskilled labor. Beat the hell out of a minimum wage job at $3.15 an hour.

 

[Ferocious]

Originally posted by: Jumpem
It's an easy job, but the pay isn't good at all.

That really depends on where you work. The pay range is quite big. And the actual tasks you are responsible for can vary a lot as well....including substantial leg work and paper work.

Where I work now, the forklift drivers make about $17 an hour......but they definately work for it.

 

[Jumpem]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Jumpem
It's an easy job, but the pay isn't good at all.

Oh, I don't know. In 1989 I was making $15 an hour at Kimberly Clark driving a forklift.

Not great, but not bad for unskilled labor. Beat the hell out of a minimum wage job at $3.15 an hour.

Yeah, I only made $6.50 an hour unloading trucks and organizing warehouses.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Jumpem

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Jumpem
It's an easy job, but the pay isn't good at all.

Oh, I don't know. In 1989 I was making $15 an hour at Kimberly Clark driving a forklift.

Not great, but not bad for unskilled labor. Beat the hell out of a minimum wage job at $3.15 an hour.

Yeah, I only made $6.50 an hour unloading trucks and organizing warehouses.

Ouchie! Bummer

 

[BatmanNate]

I drove stand-up style narrow aisle reach electric lifts (the Raymond and the Hyster) for awhile, and it's good honest work. Warehouse work is more physically demanding than menial jobs in customer service, retail, or food, but often the pay is better and there are no customers. Granted it's probably more dangerous, but it was a good experience overall for me.

 

[GtPrOjEcTX]

I drove a forklift when I worked at a mattress factory (Restonic) when I was 16-17. Half of the factory wasn't climate controlled (mostly where I was) so summers sucked and winters you work your winter coat all the time.

That said, it was fun.


Well, heck I just remembered I drove a stand up lift when I worked at Circuit City in the warehouse as well. That wasn't quite as fun as the thing was a lot harder to manuever