Heavy-Capacity Forklift Operator

Heavy-Capacity Forklift Operator

Location: Hampton Roads, VA
Pay Range: $20–$23 per hour, depending on experience and certifications
Plus benefits

Tidewater Staffing is seeking an experienced Heavy-Capacity Forklift Operator to support industrial warehouse and logistics operations in Hampton Roads. This position involves operating large-capacity forklifts to load, unload, transport, stage, and organize heavy or oversized materials safely and efficiently.

Candidates should have experience operating mid-to-large-capacity forklifts, preferably within the 15,000- to 36,000-pound range. Experience with Hyster, Taylor, Yale, or comparable heavy-duty industrial equipment will be considered.

Responsibilities

• Operate heavy-capacity forklifts to transport materials safely throughout the facility.
• Load and unload trucks, trailers, containers, racks, and designated storage areas.
• Move, stage, and position heavy, oversized, or irregularly shaped materials.
• Verify load weights and remain within the equipment’s rated lifting capacity.
• Assess load balance, stability, clearance, and travel conditions before movement.
• Secure and stabilize materials before lifting or transporting them.
• Follow shipping, receiving, inventory, and material-staging instructions.
• Verify product quantities, identification numbers, and storage locations.
• Complete equipment inspections and material-movement documentation.
• Report equipment defects, damaged materials, inventory discrepancies, and unsafe conditions.
• Maintain clear travel lanes, loading areas, staging locations, and warehouse workspaces.
• Follow all facility safety procedures and pedestrian-control requirements.
• Assist with general warehouse and material-handling duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Previous experience operating large or heavy-capacity forklifts.
• Experience operating equipment within or comparable to the 15K–36K capacity range.
• Industrial warehouse, logistics, manufacturing, shipyard, steel, or heavy-material-handling experience.
• Knowledge of forklift load limits, weight distribution, load stability, and safe material placement.
• Ability to handle heavy or oversized materials safely in active work areas.
• Ability to complete required pre-shift equipment inspections.
• Ability to follow work orders, shipping documents, inventory instructions, and verbal directions.
• Reliable attendance and ability to work the assigned schedule.
• Ability to meet applicable background, screening, and site-access requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience operating Hyster, Taylor, Yale, or comparable heavy-duty forklifts.
• Current or previous forklift training or operator certification.
• Experience using fork attachments or other material-handling attachments.
• Experience with load securement, rigging, shipping, receiving, or inventory control.
• Experience using warehouse scanners or inventory-management systems.

Since 1992, Tidewater Staffing, Inc. (TSI) has been providing unrivaled workforce solutions for our clients in the ship repair, warehousing, and light industrial/manufacturing industries. Through the years, we’ve dedicated ourselves to solving staffing challenges efficiently, economically, and with integrity by embodying our mission statement: “Put people to work. Do the right thing every day.”