NEED A FORKLIFT?

The Quiet Rise of Forklift Jobs in America

The Costco Craze — The Nesting Trend — DIY Makeover Mania

Whatever you call it, all the trends point to one hard fact: Warehouse Stores are hot. Whether it’s pallets of tuna fish, paint cans or onesies… shoppers are scooping them up inside giant, cavernous stores.

And someone has to put those pallets of merchandise there.

“Think BJs, Walmart, Home Depot, Big Lots, Shop Rite, and every big grocery store,” says one instructor at EZ Wheels Driving School. “They all need forklift operators. Lots of them.”

He should know. The demand for OSHA-Approved Forklift Certification classes at EZ

Wheels Driving School has shot through the roof.

“There are companies that will even pay to send their employees to us,” says the office manager, “So not only will some employees get a free education, they get a pay raise for the new special skill they bring to the job.”

The certification lasts for three years. And if you’re a graduate of EZ Wheels Driving School, you get a bonus: a discount on your recertification.

According to Salary-dot-Com, a Fork Lift Operator in New Jersey and New York typically commands a salary somewhere between $30,069-$38,535.

All it costs to get a Forklift Certificate and access to these jobs? 8 hours of your time and $300.

A SECOND CAREER TO BEAT UNEMPLOYMENT

“Those are the best $300 I ever spent,” said Joe F., who got his certificate at EZ Wheels Driving School after more than 6 months on unemployment. “I gotta be honest,” said the 47-year old New Jersey native, “I was starting to feel pretty worthless. Like I’d never work again.”

After 15 years with the same company, Joe saw his manufacturing job move to China. Just like that, the husband and father of two teens found his skill sets weren’t much in demand in today’s job market.

When things were at their lowest, Joe found a job opening near his home at a warehouse. It “looked interesting” but required forklift certification. That lead him to EZ Wheels Driving School and the lucky break he had prayed for.

“It changed my life,” says Joe. “I get a little emotional thinking about it, but it really did.

The people at EZ Wheels made me feel comfortable at a really uncomfortable time in my life. They made me feel I could be valuable in the workplace again when I felt like I couldn’t provide for my family. They taught me everything I needed to know to operate a forklift. And they basically helped me get my life back on track.”

Today, Joe is not only working a full-time job with benefits, he’s already gotten his first promotion. And he’s eyeballing another.

“I wanna go back to EZ Wheels to get my Class B Commercial Driver License”, he laughs, “This old dog’s not done learning new tricks! My job could bump me up again if I have a CDL, so that’s next.”

It’s the kind of success story that makes EZ Wheels proud: “That,” smiles Joe’s instructor “is what it’s all about.”