UPS hosts "Brown Friday" hiring blitz nationwide Nov. 1

What was your biggest headache during the depth of the Covid-19 pandemic? For many forklift fleet managers, it was the constant churn among lift truck operators. Six-month turnover of 100% with daily absentee rates of 30% or more was not unheard of. Those numbers have since declined, but they remain high. In our May 2024 article “Playing it safe in a high-turnover environment,” forklift suppliers cited annual turnover in their customers’ fleets of 35%, 45%, or higher.

The consequences of high turnover can be serious. Safety could be compromised when operators don’t stay on the job long enough to fully understand their responsibilities, the equipment they’re using, or the operations of the facilities where they work. Supervisors and managers may have to devote more time to hiring, training, and ensuring shifts are covered, leaving less time for their other responsibilities, says Jared Green, director of global sales for automation and emerging technology at Crown Equipment Corp. Facilities may have to make do with suboptimal processes when fleets are shorthanded, he adds.