Job description Forklift Truck Operator in the Southeast Region

Find out what work is like for a forklift truck operator in Canada. This work description is applicable to all Material handlers (NOC 75101).

Material handlers

Description

Material handlers handle, move, load and unload materials by hand or using a variety of material handling equipment. They are employed by transportation, storage and moving companies, and by a variety of manufacturing and processing companies and retail and wholesale warehouses.

Job duties

Here are some of the main activities and tasks that Material handlers have to perform, and some of the physical demands they involve:

  • Load, unload and move products and materials by hand or using basic material handling equipment
  • Move household appliances and furniture onto and off moving trucks or vans
  • Perform other material handling activities such as counting, weighing, sorting, packing and unpacking.
  • Operate winches and other loading devices to load and unload materials onto and off trucks, railway cars and loading docks of warehouses and industrial establishments
  • Operate industrial trucks, tractors, loaders and other equipment to transport materials to and from transportation vehicles and loading docks and to store and retrieve materials in warehouses
  • Connect hoses or pipes and operate equipment to load and unload liquid petroleum, chemical or other products into or from tank cars, tank trucks or storage tanks
  • Operate equipment to dump materials such as coal, ore and grain into or to remove materials from railway cars, trucks or other vehicles
  • Operate conveyors and equipment to transfer grain or other materials from transportation vehicles to elevators, bins or other storage areas
  • May perform other activities, such as opening containers and crates, filling warehouse orders, assisting in taking inventory and weighing and checking materials.

Related job titles

Here are some other related job titles that are found in the same occupational category (NOC 75101), and a list of similar occupations:

  • bin filler
  • coal handler
  • conveyor console operator
  • forklift truck operator
  • freight handler (except air transport)
  • furniture mover
  • lumber piler - building supplies
  • material handler
  • railway car loader
  • stockpiler
  • storage worker - material handling
  • truck loader
  • warehouseman/woman

Sources Occupational and Skills Information System & National Occupational Classification

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