As many as 50 per cent of forklift drivers are 51 years old or older. This is according to the National Survey Forklift Drivers 2025, which was conducted by Right Market Research on behalf of BLOM Opleidingen. According to the forklift training provider, these figures underline the need to attract and train younger workers. Maarten Dullaert of BLOM says: "Investing in young talent is crucial to prevent staff shortages in the future."
For years, BLOM Opleidingen has been conducting the National Survey of Forklift Drivers with great regularity. For the 2025 edition, more than a thousand forklift drivers completed an extensive questionnaire. Dullaert says: "For us, this survey is an important source of insight into the trends and concerns affecting the sector. By comparing the results with those of the 2015 survey, we can recognise not only the progress in the sector, but also the pain points that still need improvement."
Safety and training
Like ageing, safety was already a major issue in 2015, with 70 per cent of drivers holding a forklift certificate. Yet safety issues remained, such as not wearing seatbelts and speeding. 2025 shows an improvement with 88 per cent of drivers now holding a forklift certificate. This shows that there is clear progress in the focus on training and safety. Unfortunately, the survey shows that there is an urgent need for a culture change that sees safety not just as an obligation, but as a core value.
Rising workload
Job satisfaction in 2015 was relatively high at 71 per cent, but irritations were mainly with poor communication and lack of support from supervisors. The National Forklift Drivers 2025 survey presents a slightly more moderate picture: job satisfaction remains reasonably high with a score of 7.9 on a scale of 1 to 10, but work pressure and stress have increased remarkably. As many as 40 per cent of drivers regularly experience stress. In 2015, 19% of drivers said they regularly experienced stress, mainly due to too high a work pace.
Communication remains area for improvement
Improving communication was a frequently mentioned concern back in 2015. The 2025 survey shows that communication between colleagues and departments is still not optimal. Language barriers, partly due to the presence of foreign employees, are also perceived as a problem. The need for better internal communication remains a key area for improvement in the sector, and here lies an opportunity for companies to invest in training and systems that promote collaboration.
Recommendations to the industry
The National Survey of Forklift Drivers 2025 clearly shows that the sector faces major challenges. The ageing population, increasing workload and continuing problems with communication and safety need to be taken seriously. Some of BLOM's recommendations:
- Attention to young talent: the sector needs to invest in attracting young, well-trained drivers to cope with the ageing population.
- Training and safety: obtaining forklift certificates is a step in the right direction, but there is still a lot of room for improvement in terms of safety culture and training.
- Easing work pressure: measures should be taken to ease work pressure and reduce stress to ensure drivers' health and well-being.
- Improve communication: improving internal communication and addressing language barriers are essential for more effective cooperation and a better working environment.
Dullaert: "We remain committed to supporting the forklift sector with the right training courses, so that drivers are not only well prepared for the technical aspects of their work, but also develop the skills needed to remain successful and healthy in their jobs."
Let's face the challenges of the future together and make the forklift industry stronger for future generations!
