Two firms have teamed up to develop a remote-controlled forklift that allows people to operate them from thousands of kilometers away without the need for an on-site driver.

French logistics firm Geodis and U.S. remote driving software start-up Phantom Auto have announced the partnership, which could make forklift driving an office job in the future.

Forklifts are powered industrial trucks used to carry heavy and dangerous items from one place to another, usually in warehouses – but now they could be operated from afar. 

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"What we're doing when we talk about fully remotely operated forklifts is Zoom for the physical world," says Phantom Auto co-founder Elliott Katz. "So for the first time, warehouse workers who haven't had that same privilege will now similarly be able to work from a remote location. 

"Maybe it's closer to their home – maybe it's actually in their home, in a future state. But the point is that we're democratizing that idea of remote work."

Phantom Auto has already begun testing forklifts in the U.S. with the driver able to sit at a desk thousands of kilometers away and control the vehicle using a wheel, joystick and pedals. 

"With the forklift specifically, you have a joystick for moving vertically, and the steering wheel is same essentially as operating a passenger vehicle – left and right," explains Katz. "Any movement you make with the steering wheel or with the joystick, the forklift will instantly follow.

"To show the robustness of our technology, we've had customers who have driven forklifts 5,000 miles [8,000 kilometers] away – someone remotely operating in California forklifts located in warehouses in France. We've had customers remotely operating in Asia a forklift located here in California."

The forklifts are electric and battery-operated and Phantom says operators can drive them to a charging station at the end of the day.

The hope is that the new technology will alleviate the challenges of hiring employees for warehouse work, while also allowing for more people with disabilities to enter the sector.

Stephanie Herve, Western Europe Chief Operating Officer at Geodis, said: "With this solution we create a new environment of working, which could probably be more attractive for young talent, for digital natives."

Video editing: Jason Wright