It may look an automatic action to drive and it may become even banal for those who are familiar to do it.
Honestly it never stops to require attention, focus and full use of all five senses.
While you are driving a forklift, being engaged in a phonecall it is a distraction, even you are using earphones that allow you to keep your hands at the wheel.
Besides, earphones (as well as headset to listen to music) reduce our ability to feel what it is happening around us.
For this reason it is forbidden to answer the phone while driving the forklift. (how to listen to music with earphones)
Attention to driving does not decrease in relation to increasing experience. Indeed, experience teaches us to be constantly vigilant, for our safety and for that of our colleagues.