Forklift Train the Trainer: Run Operator Training In-House

It's a $299 online course for the person who will train and evaluate forklift operators at your company. In 13 lessons, about 4 to 5 hours, it covers how to plan training, teach adults, coach on the truck, run a fair hands-on evaluation and keep records. It also includes a trainer kit: an 82-slide operator training deck, two written tests with answer keys, a hands-on evaluation form, inspection checklists, certificate and wallet card templates, a trainer's guide and a training record. When you pass the final exam, you download a certificate showing you completed the course.

An 82-slide operator training deck with speaker notes; written tests Form A and Form B, 30 questions each, with answer keys; a hands-on evaluation form with pass, needs coaching and fail ratings, a critical-fail box and an employer certification block; daily inspection checklists for electric and engine-powered trucks; a pre-practice briefing checklist; operator certificate and wallet card templates that carry your company's name, not ours; a 10-page trainer's guide; and a training record and roster. Every file is editable Word or PowerPoint with a PDF copy, and you can download everything as one zip.

$299, paid once. There are no recurring fees and no per-operator fees, so you can use the kit to train as many of your operators as you need. You get a full refund within 7 days of purchase as long as you haven't downloaded the kit.

Not always. Team seats cost $50 each for 2 to 4 operators, $40 for 5 to 9 and $30 for 10 or more, so a one-time group of 10 costs $300, about the same as the $299 trainer course. The trainer course pulls ahead when you hire or move operators all year, want one person running training, evaluations and records, or want materials you can reuse for years. Keep in mind that seats cover only the classroom part. Every operator still needs practical training and an evaluation in your workplace, by someone with the knowledge, training and experience to do it (29 CFR 1910.178(l)(2)(ii) and (l)(2)(iii)).

The person who will train and evaluate your operators, usually a safety manager, a warehouse or yard supervisor, or an experienced lead operator. HR teams and staffing firms can buy it for that person. They should already know your trucks and your site. The course teaches how to train and evaluate, but OSHA's rule also asks for experience, which only comes from time on the truck (29 CFR 1910.178(l)(2)(iii)).

No. OSHA does not license, certify or approve forklift trainers or training courses, ours or anyone else's. The rule says the people who train and evaluate operators must have the knowledge, training and experience to do it (29 CFR 1910.178(l)(2)(iii)). Your company decides who meets that test. Our trainer certificate shows your trainer completed this course. Keep it on file with a short memo naming them as your trainer; the trainer's guide in the kit includes a sample.

Yes. OSHA requires formal instruction, practical training and an evaluation of each operator's performance in the workplace (29 CFR 1910.178(l)(2)(ii)). Your trainer can run all three at your site with the kit. Your company then certifies each operator in writing with their name, the training date, the evaluation date and who did the training and evaluation (29 CFR 1910.178(l)(6)). Each operator must be evaluated again at least once every three years (29 CFR 1910.178(l)(4)(iii)).