Forklift Hire · With Driver
Forklift hire with a driver — truck and certified operator, nationwide
Operated hire from AWE: a Xilin forklift plus a trained, insured operator delivered to your Irish site. Ideal for shutdowns, container unloads, relocations and cover when your own driver is out.
Operated forklift hire in Ireland
When you need the lifting done, not just the machine
Hiring a forklift is straightforward — finding a certified operator at short notice is not. Operated hire solves both in one booking: AWE delivers the right truck for the job and supplies a trained, insured operator to run it, so you carry no training liability, no recruitment lead time and no risk of an uncertified driver on site. It is the standard answer for weekend shutdowns, one-off container unloads, machinery moves, exhibition build-ups and holiday cover. You get one point of contact, one invoice, and documented certification and insurance in advance of the operator setting foot on your site.
Typical jobs
What Irish customers use operated hire for
Short, defined pieces of work where hiring a truck alone would leave you without a driver.
Planned shutdowns & stocktakes
Weekend and holiday cover where your own operators are off and the work still has to happen.
One-off container & trailer unloads
A single delivery that needs a truck and a trained operator for a few hours, not a hire contract.
Staff absence & peak cover
Holiday, sickness or a sudden order spike — an operator on site the next working day rather than a recruitment process.
Site moves & relocations
Machinery moves, office and factory relocations, exhibition build-ups and de-rigs.
How it works
From phone call to job done in four steps
Send the job details
Dates, site address, access, loads, lift heights and how many hours you need — a five-minute call is usually enough.
We quote the truck and operator
Half-day, day or multi-day rate covering the truck, the certified operator, delivery and collection.
Paperwork before arrival
Operator certification, insurance details and, where the site needs them, RAMS issued in advance.
On site and working
Truck delivered, operator inducted, job done — one invoice for the equipment and the labour.
Operated vs self-drive
Should you hire the truck alone or the truck with a driver?
Below roughly two weeks of work, operated hire is usually cheaper than training or recruiting.
| Operated hire | Self-drive hire | |
|---|---|---|
| Certified operator supplied | Yes | No |
| You carry training liability | No | Yes |
| Best for one-off or short jobs | Yes | No |
| Best for ongoing daily use | No | Yes |
| Available at short notice | Yes | Yes |
| Maintenance included | Yes | Yes |
| Lowest hourly cost long term | No | Yes |
FAQ
Forklift hire with driver — common questions
Keep exploring
Related services
Self-drive forklift hire
Daily, weekly and contract hire on electric, diesel and LPG trucks with maintenance included.
Learn moreOperator training
Certified on-site forklift operator training so your own team can run the truck.
Learn moreThorough Examination
Statutory inspection of your own fleet, carried out alongside routine servicing.
Learn moreKnowledge Hub
Read before you decide
Forklift Licence Ireland: What the Law Actually Requires
There is no government-issued forklift licence in Ireland. What the law requires is documented training, an employer authorisation and a safe system of work — here is exactly how that works.
8 min readForklift Operator Training Cost in Ireland — What You'll Pay and Why
Novice, experienced-operator and refresher courses are priced very differently, and group size changes the per-head cost more than anything else. Here is how Irish forklift training pricing really works.
7 min readNeed a forklift and a driver this week?
Call (01) 401 9919 — we'll tell you straight away what we can get on site and when.