Warehouse Forklift Operator

POSITION TITLE: Warehouse Forklift Operator

REPORTS TO: Operations Manager

SUMMARY

Responsible for all activities associated with safely operating and caring for the forklift.

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced and reliable Agricultural Forklift Operator to manage material handling, storage, and transfer across our agricultural facilities. In this role, you will safely operate sit-down and rough-terrain forklifts to transport raw harvests, palletized produce, and equipment. You will play a vital role in keeping our harvest and distribution pipelines running efficiently, safely, and in full compliance with agricultural sanitation standards.

Key Responsibilities

Agricultural Material Handling & Staging
• Safely operate sit-down, stand-up, and rough-terrain/outdoor forklifts across warehouse floors, packing facilities, gravel yards, and unpaved farm terrain.
• Load, unload, and stage incoming field harvests, crates, bins, bulk seed, fertilizer, and outgoing finished produce shipments.
• Transport perishable produce quickly and carefully to cooler units, processing lines, or staging areas to preserve product quality and cold-chain integrity.
• Stack, move, and organize heavy wooden crates, plastic agricultural bins, and specialized containers without damaging crop yields or packaging.

Facility Operations
• Monitor and maintain proper temperature protocols when staging or storing temperature-sensitive inventory in refrigerated environments.
• Support inventory control by scanning, logging, and tag-tracking incoming harvests, crop lot numbers, and outgoing freight using warehouse management systems (WMS).
• Assist farm and facility crews during peak harvest cycles with load prioritization and dock staging.

Safety, Sanitation & Compliance
• Perform daily pre-operation equipment inspections (fluid levels, hydraulics, tires, forks) and report any mechanical issues immediately.
• Adhere strictly to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) standards, and OSHA safety guidelines.
• Maintain clean and sanitary operating equipment to prevent cross-contamination between field batches, fertilizers, and food products.
• Follow all speed, load-capacity, and safety regulations on rough, uneven, or wet rural terrain.

Qualifications & Requirements
• Experience: 1-2+ years of experience operating sit-down and/or rough-terrain forklifts, preferably in agricultural, food processing, or rural production environments.
• Certification: Active Forklift Operator Certification (or ability to pass facility certification within 30 days).
• Environment Expertise: Comfortable operating machinery on uneven ground, wet surfaces, inside cold storage/cooler rooms, and under varying weather conditions.
• Knowledge: Familiarity with GAP/food safety protocols, cold-chain handling, and agricultural supply chain procedures is a strong plus.
• Physical Demands: Sit/stand for long periods and work extended hours or modified shifts during peak harvest seasons.
• Attributes: High attention to safety, strong communication skills, and reliability during high-volume agricultural cycles.

Working Conditions
• Work environment includes indoor warehouses, cold-storage facilities, open-air staging yards, and field access points.
• Exposure to seasonal weather elements, varying temperatures (coolers), and dust/dirt standard to agricultural environments.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

High school or equivalent (Required)

Experience as a forklift operator

BENEFITS

• Day one: Paid Holidays, $500 wellness reimbursement, discounted gym memberships and $500 employee referral bonuses.
• Full benefits package within ONE MONTH of hire. Including company paid life insurance.
• Three months: 401(k) with company matching and enrollment into attendance bonus program earning up to $1000 per year in bonuses.
• Six months: Paid time off.
• 12 months: $35,000 in tuition reimbursement and PAID childbearing leave/parenting leave.
• Career Growth and opportunities for promotions. We hire from within!
• Competitive Salary - we pay for skills. The more you learn the more you earn.

Pratt Industries is America's 5th largest paper and packaging company with more than 9,000 highly skilled green collar employees dedicated to the environment and sustainability. Pratt Industries is one of the largest corrugated packaging companies in America, with sophisticated manufacturing facilities in more than twenty states. The company operates several of the most modern, cost effective paper mills in the country, as well as a series of sheet and box plants strategically placed throughout the United States offering a wide range of creative packaging solutions. Pratt Industries is committed to recycling and the environment by harvesting the urban forest.

Pratt Industries offers competitive compensation plans with incentive opportunities, full benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, All State, Pre-Paid Legal, and 401(k) with company match, paid vacation, paid holidays, and childbearing and parental leave.

Pratt Industries is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.