Forklift Technician Jobs in Illinois
Forklift Technician jobs in Illinois are concentrated in the Chicago metro, Joliet, and Elgin, where large distribution centers, manufacturing plants, and third-party logistics operators keep demand steady across experience levels from entry-level shop technicians to lead maintenance specialists. Toyota Industries, NACCO Materials Handling, and Amazon Logistics all maintain significant operations in Illinois and hire forklift technicians on a recurring basis. The most in-demand specialties are electric forklift repair, hydraulic systems diagnostics, and preventive maintenance for high-throughput warehouse fleets. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
Find Forklift Technician JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 19+ Forklift Technician jobs
Job Summary
Bring your excellent mechanical aptitude to service and repair forklifts.
Qualifications and Expectations:
- Perform preventive maintenance and repairs on propane, electric and diesel forklifts at customer locations
- Troubleshoot and repair hydraulic, electrical, engine and brake systems
- Complete service paperwork for each job, including unit, serial number, hour meter and work performed
- Maintain the service vehicle and its parts and tools
-Previous experience working with diesel, electric and propane-powered forklifts
-Perform routine maintenance and repairs on forklifts and their engines
-Diagnose and repair heavy equipment, hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical machinery and systems
- 2+ years of forklift or heavy equipment repair experience
- Able to work independently in the field
- Valid driver's license and clean driving record
- Own basic hand tools
-Ability to troubleshoot issues and solve complex problems
-Knowledge and ability to diagnose hydraulic circuits and fuel and cooling systems
-Understanding of attachments
-Maintain service truck supplies and tools
-Work/manage workloads independently and display daily communication with Service Manager
-Consistent and reliable - strong attention to detail
-Skilled in safe, effective and appropriate equipment use
-Ability to wear and used appropriate safety gear
-Must have clean driving record and valid driver’s license. Service truck provided.
-Ability to travel up to 4 hour radius from home. Reimbursement for overnight stays if necessary.
Key Responsibilities
- Repair and maintain diesel, electric, and propane-powered forklifts.
- Diagnose and troubleshoot hydraulic circuits, as well as fuel and cooling systems.
- Ensure consistent and reliable work performance with strong attention to detail.
- Use equipment safely, effectively, and appropriately.
- Wear and utilize required safety gear.
- Complete service and repair tasks within a reasonable timeframe.
- Identify sources of mechanical issues by observing devices in operation, listening for malfunctions, and using precision tools and testing instruments.
- Perform routine preventive maintenance according to the established program.
- Fabricate or repair parts using machine shop tools and equipment
- Maintain open communication with dispatchers and the service office, updating them on job status and availability for new assignments.
- Identify jobs that should be sent to our shop for repair, providing valuable recommendations based on complexity or safety reasons
- - Perform preventive maintenance and repairs on propane, electric and diesel forklifts at customer locations
- - Troubleshoot and repair hydraulic, electrical, engine and brake systems
- - Complete service paperwork for each job, including unit, serial number, hour meter and work performed
- - Maintain the service vehicle and its parts and tools
Essential Skills and Experience:
- Very good skills in repairing powered industrial equipment.
- Strong customer orientation with excellent communication skills (written and verbal).
- Time management expertise to handle multiple priorities.
- Basic computer proficiency and familiarity with laptop fundamentals.
- Ownership of necessary tools for repairs, per our recommended tool list.
- Valid driver’s license and a good driving record.
- Certification to operate material handling equipment.
- Commitment to the company's vision and mission
If you have the skills, experience, and motivation to excel in this role, we encourage you to apply for the Forklift Mechanic position today!
Apply on Indeed or call 630-426-9156.
Job Types: Full-time, Contract
Pay: $25.00 - $38.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Profit sharing
- Tools provided
Experience:
- Mechanical and Electrical Forklift troubleshooting : 2 years (Required)
License/Certification:
- Driving License (Required)
Work Location: In person
Job Summary
Bring your excellent mechanical aptitude to service and repair forklifts.
Qualifications and Expectations:
- Perform preventive maintenance and repairs on propane, electric and diesel forklifts at customer locations
- Troubleshoot and repair hydraulic, electrical, engine and brake systems
- Complete service paperwork for each job, including unit, serial number, hour meter and work performed
- Maintain the service vehicle and its parts and tools
-Previous experience working with diesel, electric and propane-powered forklifts
-Perform routine maintenance and repairs on forklifts and their engines
-Diagnose and repair heavy equipment, hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical machinery and systems
- 2+ years of forklift or heavy equipment repair experience
- Able to work independently in the field
- Valid driver's license and clean driving record
- Own basic hand tools
-Ability to troubleshoot issues and solve complex problems
-Knowledge and ability to diagnose hydraulic circuits and fuel and cooling systems
-Understanding of attachments
-Maintain service truck supplies and tools
-Work/manage workloads independently and display daily communication with Service Manager
-Consistent and reliable - strong attention to detail
-Skilled in safe, effective and appropriate equipment use
-Ability to wear and used appropriate safety gear
-Must have clean driving record and valid driver’s license. Service truck provided.
-Ability to travel up to 4 hour radius from home. Reimbursement for overnight stays if necessary.
Key Responsibilities
- Repair and maintain diesel, electric, and propane-powered forklifts.
- Diagnose and troubleshoot hydraulic circuits, as well as fuel and cooling systems.
- Ensure consistent and reliable work performance with strong attention to detail.
- Use equipment safely, effectively, and appropriately.
- Wear and utilize required safety gear.
- Complete service and repair tasks within a reasonable timeframe.
- Identify sources of mechanical issues by observing devices in operation, listening for malfunctions, and using precision tools and testing instruments.
- Perform routine preventive maintenance according to the established program.
- Fabricate or repair parts using machine shop tools and equipment
- Maintain open communication with dispatchers and the service office, updating them on job status and availability for new assignments.
- Identify jobs that should be sent to our shop for repair, providing valuable recommendations based on complexity or safety reasons
- - Perform preventive maintenance and repairs on propane, electric and diesel forklifts at customer locations
- - Troubleshoot and repair hydraulic, electrical, engine and brake systems
- - Complete service paperwork for each job, including unit, serial number, hour meter and work performed
- - Maintain the service vehicle and its parts and tools
Essential Skills and Experience:
- Very good skills in repairing powered industrial equipment.
- Strong customer orientation with excellent communication skills (written and verbal).
- Time management expertise to handle multiple priorities.
- Basic computer proficiency and familiarity with laptop fundamentals.
- Ownership of necessary tools for repairs, per our recommended tool list.
- Valid driver’s license and a good driving record.
- Certification to operate material handling equipment.
- Commitment to the company's vision and mission
If you have the skills, experience, and motivation to excel in this role, we encourage you to apply for the Forklift Mechanic position today!
Apply on Indeed or call 630-426-9156.
Job Types: Full-time, Contract
Pay: $25.00 - $38.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Profit sharing
- Tools provided
Experience:
- Mechanical and Electrical Forklift troubleshooting : 2 years (Required)
License/Certification:
- Driving License (Required)
Work Location: In person
See All 19 Forklift Technician Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Forklift Technician JobsForklift Technician Jobs by City in Illinois
Where Illinois roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Forklift Technician Job Market in Illinois
A snapshot from current Illinois openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
What Illinois Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in forklift technician jobs across Illinois.
- Forklift technician certification from OSHA or an OSHA-recognized training provider required
- Two or more years of hands-on forklift or industrial lift equipment repair experience
- Proficiency diagnosing and servicing electric, propane, and internal combustion forklifts
- Ability to read and interpret hydraulic, electrical, and pneumatic schematics
- Valid Illinois driver's license for operating vehicles on employer premises
- Completion of a vocational or technical program in diesel, automotive, or industrial mechanics
Forklift Technician Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a forklift technician in Illinois?
Most forklift technicians in Illinois enter through a vocational or community college program in diesel technology, industrial mechanics, or electromechanical systems, with City Colleges of Chicago, Heartland Community College, and Illinois Central College offering relevant certificates. Illinois does not require a state-issued license for forklift technician work, but employers consistently expect OSHA forklift operator certification and manufacturer-specific training from brands such as Toyota, Crown, or Hyster.
Which companies hire forklift technicians in Illinois?
Companies currently hiring forklift technicians in Illinois include Crown Equipment, GEODIS, and Fitzgerald Equipment Co., per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Illinois's dense concentration of distribution and manufacturing facilities along the I-55 and I-80 corridors means large logistics operators and industrial equipment dealers post openings on a near-continuous basis.
Which Illinois cities have the most forklift technician jobs?
Joliet, Edwardsville, and Peru account for the largest share of forklift technician openings in Illinois. Chicago drives volume through its industrial districts and intermodal freight hubs, while Joliet and Elgin anchor significant demand because of the major fulfillment centers and automotive parts manufacturers that have built out along their respective highway corridors.
Are there remote forklift technician jobs in Illinois?
Yes, but they're rare. Forklift technician work is fundamentally hands-on and requires physical access to equipment, so remote arrangements apply only to a narrow slice of the field. About 0% of forklift technician openings tied to Illinois are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, and those postings typically involve technical support, parts procurement, or service coordination roles rather than direct repair work.
How can I get hired as a forklift technician in Illinois with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is enrolling in a certificate program at City Colleges of Chicago or Illinois Central College, then applying for a shop technician apprenticeship or junior service technician role at a forklift dealership such as a local Toyota or Crown distributor. Candidates who come from automotive maintenance, industrial maintenance helper, or warehouse equipment operator roles often transition successfully, and holding a current OSHA forklift operator card gives applicants a concrete credential that offsets limited repair experience.
Where can I find and apply to forklift technician jobs in Illinois?
You can find and apply to forklift technician jobs in Illinois on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings tied to the state. Search the listings to find roles that match your experience, certifications, and preferred location, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 19 Forklift Technician Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Forklift Technician Jobs