Cold Storage Forklift Driver

Job Description

Job Description

Position Summary

The Cold Storage Forklift Driver is responsible for safely operating powered industrial equipment to receive, move, store, pick, and stage products within refrigerated and freezer warehouse areas.

This position requires working for extended periods in cold or below-freezing temperatures while maintaining accurate inventory, proper product rotation, food-safety standards, and efficient warehouse operations. The ideal candidate is safety-conscious, dependable, detail-oriented, and experienced in operating forklifts in a fast-paced cold-storage environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Safely operate sit-down forklifts, stand-up reach trucks, electric pallet jacks, order pickers, or other assigned warehouse equipment.

• Load, unload, move, stack, and stage refrigerated or frozen products.

• Transport materials between receiving, storage, production, picking, and shipping areas.

• Store products in assigned rack locations according to warehouse procedures.

• Pick products accurately using work orders, pick tickets, scanners, or warehouse-management systems.

• Verify product descriptions, quantities, lot numbers, expiration dates, and storage locations.

• Follow First-In, First-Out and First-Expired, First-Out inventory-rotation procedures.

• Inspect incoming and outgoing products for damage, contamination, temperature concerns, or incorrect labeling.

• Maintain the cold chain by ensuring products remain within required temperature ranges.

• Complete forklift inspections before each shift and report mechanical or safety concerns immediately.

• Verify that loads are stable, properly wrapped, and safe before transporting them.

• Maintain accurate inventory records and report discrepancies to the supervisor.

• Assist with cycle counts, physical inventories, and product-location verification.

• Follow established loading procedures to prevent product damage and trailer-weight issues.

• Keep aisles, docks, freezers, coolers, and staging areas clean and free from obstructions.

• Follow sanitation, food-safety, quality-control, and Good Manufacturing Practice requirements.

• Report damaged products, spills, broken pallets, refrigeration issues, and unsafe conditions immediately.

• Meet established productivity, accuracy, attendance, and safety expectations.

• Assist with general warehouse duties when forklift work is not available.

• Perform additional responsibilities as assigned by management.

Required Qualifications

• At least one year of recent forklift experience in a warehouse, distribution, food-manufacturing, or cold-storage environment is preferred.

• Previous experience operating a sit-down forklift or stand-up reach truck.

• Current forklift certification is preferred; employer-provided certification may be required.

• Experience working in refrigerated or freezer environments is preferred.

• Ability to read pick tickets, product labels, lot numbers, expiration dates, and warehouse-location codes.

• Ability to perform basic counting and inventory calculations accurately.

• Ability to safely stack and retrieve products from warehouse racking.

• Ability to follow written and verbal instructions.

• Strong attention to safety, inventory accuracy, and product quality.

• Dependable attendance and punctuality.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a warehouse team.

• Willingness to work overtime, weekends, holidays, or alternate shifts based on operational needs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in food manufacturing, food distribution, grocery distribution, or refrigerated warehousing.

• Familiarity with radio-frequency scanners and warehouse-management systems.

• Knowledge of FIFO and FEFO inventory-rotation procedures.

• Experience handling frozen, refrigerated, perishable, or temperature-controlled products.

• Familiarity with Good Manufacturing Practices, food-safety procedures, and sanitation requirements.

• Bilingual English and Spanish communication skills are helpful but not required.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work for extended periods in refrigerated areas, freezers, and changing temperatures.

• Ability to tolerate temperatures that may range from approximately 35&degree;F to below 0&degree;F, depending on the assigned work area.

• Ability to wear insulated clothing, freezer suits, gloves, safety footwear, and other required personal protective equipment.

• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods while operating warehouse equipment.

• Ability to regularly lift, carry, push, or pull up to 50 pounds.

• Ability to bend, reach, twist, climb, and perform repetitive hand and arm movements.

• Ability to enter and exit forklift equipment repeatedly throughout the shift.

• Ability to work around moving equipment, pallet racking, loading docks, and refrigerated machinery.

• Ability to maintain awareness and safe equipment control in narrow aisles and high-traffic areas.

Work Environment

This position is performed in refrigerated and frozen warehouse environments. Employees may regularly move between freezer, cooler, dry-storage, loading-dock, and outdoor areas.

The work environment may include below-freezing temperatures, condensation, wet or slippery surfaces, moving equipment, elevated storage racks, loud noise, and frequent pedestrian traffic. Employees must follow all warehouse safety procedures and wear required personal protective equipment.

Safety Responsibilities

• Complete and document all required pre-shift forklift inspections.

• Operate powered industrial equipment only after receiving proper training and authorization.

• Follow established speed limits, pedestrian right-of-way rules, and warehouse traffic patterns.

• Sound the horn at intersections, doorways, blind corners, and congested areas.

• Maintain safe distances from pedestrians, equipment, racks, and dock edges.

• Wear a seat belt whenever the equipment is equipped with one.

• Never carry passengers or raise individuals on forklift forks or pallets.

• Never operate equipment while using a mobile phone or other distracting device.

• Immediately remove damaged or unsafe equipment from service and notify management.

• Follow all lockout/tagout, sanitation, food-safety, and emergency-response procedures.

• Report all accidents, injuries, spills, product damage, and near-miss incidents immediately.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to any characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable law.