How to Set Up an OSHA-Compliant Forklift Training Program

Who trains, who evaluates, what to write down, and when to do it again. The employer's plan for 29 CFR 1910.178(l), step by step, with the paragraph behind each step.

The short answer

An OSHA-compliant forklift training program has six parts under 29 CFR 1910.178(l): a qualified trainer and evaluator, classroom instruction on the required topics, hands-on practice, an evaluation of each operator in your workplace, a written certification, and a repeat cycle of refresher training after certain events and a new evaluation at least every 3 years. OSHA sets no minimum hours, no required form, and does not approve programs. The employer runs it and certifies each operator.

What does OSHA require in a forklift training program?

Training, evaluation and certification for every operator before they drive, then refreshers and re-evaluations for as long as they drive. The rule is paragraph (l) of 29 CFR 1910.178, and it starts with the employer's duty: before letting an employee operate a powered industrial truck, except for training, "the employer shall ensure that each operator has successfully completed the training required by this paragraph (l)", under (l)(1)(ii).

Here is the whole program on one page. Each box names the paragraph it comes from.

The six parts of an OSHA forklift training program, in order: choose a qualified trainer, classroom instruction, practical training, workplace evaluation, written certification, then refresher training and a new evaluation at least every 3 years. 1 Choose a qualified trainer Knowledge, training, experience (l)(2)(iii) 2 Classroom instruction Truck and workplace topics (l)(2)(ii), (l)(3) 3 Hands-on practice Under direct supervision (l)(2)(i) 4 Evaluation in your workplace On the truck they will drive (l)(2)(ii) 5 Certify in writing Name, 2 dates, who trained and evaluated (l)(6) 6 Refresh and re-evaluate Refresher after any of 5 triggers (l)(4)(ii) New evaluation at least every 3 years (l)(4)(iii) Then back to step 5
Source: 29 CFR 1910.178(l), on osha.gov.

OSHA wrote the rule to be flexible on method. In the 1998 final rule it said it "is not specifying the time that must be spent on the training or the exact methods that must be used to train operators", but is requiring that operators know how to do the job safely, "as demonstrated by workplace evaluations". That is why there is no set number of hours. The evaluation is the proof. For every rule in the standard, paragraph by paragraph, see our guide to OSHA forklift certification requirements.

How to set up a forklift training program, step by step

Seven steps, in the order a manager would set them up. The paragraph of 1910.178 behind each step is listed under its title.

  1. 1

    List your trucks, attachments and drivers

    1910.178(l)(3)(i)(A)

    Training is tied to "the types of truck the operator will be authorized to operate". Write down every powered truck on site, including electric pallet jacks and walkie stackers, every attachment, and every person who drives one or will. That list sets the scope of everything else.

  2. 2

    Name your trainer and evaluator

    1910.178(l)(2)(iii)

    Pick someone with "the knowledge, training, and experience to train powered industrial truck operators and evaluate their competence". It can be you, a supervisor, a lead operator or an outside trainer. Put the choice and the reasons in a short memo for your file.

  3. 3

    Cover the classroom topics

    1910.178(l)(2)(ii), (l)(3)

    Formal instruction can be a lecture, discussion, video, written material or "interactive computer learning". It must cover the truck-related and workplace-related topics in (l)(3) plus the requirements of the standard itself. An online course can handle the general topics; your trainer adds anything specific to your trucks and floor.

  4. 4

    Run practical training under direct supervision

    1910.178(l)(2)(i), (l)(2)(ii)

    The trainer demonstrates, then the trainee practices. Trainees may drive only under the direct supervision of a qualified person, and only where it does not endanger the trainee or anyone else.

  5. 5

    Evaluate each operator in your workplace

    1910.178(l)(2)(ii)

    The evaluator watches the operator do real tasks on the truck they will use, in the place they will use it, and asks questions. OSHA says the evaluator must be physically there, not watching a video stream.

  6. 6

    Certify it in writing

    1910.178(l)(6)

    Record the operator's name, the training date, the evaluation date, and who trained and who evaluated. There is no OSHA form, and no signature is required.

  7. 7

    Keep it running

    1910.178(l)(4), (q)(7)

    Retrain and re-evaluate after any of the five refresher triggers, evaluate every operator at least once every three years, and have trucks examined at least daily before use.

Free printable

OSHA forklift program checklist (PDF, one page)

The program above in checkbox form, with the paragraph of 1910.178 next to each line. Print it, tick it off, and keep it in your training file. No sign-up needed.

Download the forklift program checklist (PDF)

Who needs forklift training at your company?

Every employee who operates a powered industrial truck, however often they drive it. Paragraph (l)(1)(i) applies to "each powered industrial truck operator", and the standard covers fork trucks, platform lift trucks and motorized hand trucks under (a)(1). A few groups are easy to miss:

  • Experienced hires. Prior training can count under (l)(5), but only if it fits your trucks and conditions and the operator has been evaluated and found competent. In practice that means you still run your own evaluation.
  • Temporary workers. OSHA treats the staffing agency and your company as joint employers. Its Temporary Worker Initiative bulletin on forklift training says the agency is generally responsible for generic training. When the agency sends trained operators, the host employer "must still verify that training and provide site-specific information and training", and "must also conduct a workplace evaluation of each operator supplied by the staffing agency."
  • Occasional drivers. The supervisor who moves one pallet a week and the shipping clerk who covers lunch breaks are operators. Paragraph (l) has no exception for part-time or occasional use.
  • Owners. The OSH Act does not cover self-employed people, so a sole owner with no employees is outside the rule. Our advice for an owner who drives alongside staff: go through the same training and evaluation. It sets the standard for everyone else.

Anyone under 18 is a separate question: federal child labor law bars them from operating a forklift in non-farm jobs, whatever training they have. See our forklift operator age requirements.

Who can run your forklift training program?

Anyone with the knowledge, training and experience to train operators and judge their competence, under 1910.178(l)(2)(iii). OSHA sets no license or certificate for trainers. In the 1998 final rule it said the employer "may have the necessary prerequisites to qualify as a trainer and evaluator", or may assign the job to employees or an outside trainer who does.

Experience means hands-on skill with your equipment. In a 2003 letter OSHA said a trainer has enough experience only if they have "the practical skills and judgment to be able to himself operate the equipment safely under the conditions prevailing in the employer's workplace." A trainer who has never used your clamp or side-shift attachment cannot evaluate someone else on it.

For the full picture, including when training your own trainer costs less than buying seats, read who can train and evaluate forklift operators.

Can part of a forklift training program be done online?

The classroom part, yes. The practical training and the evaluation, no. Paragraph (l)(2)(ii) lists "interactive computer learning" as a form of formal instruction, so an online course can cover the truck-related and workplace-related topics in (l)(3).

The hands-on half has to happen on your floor. In an April 2025 letter, OSHA said the person observing and evaluating operators must be "physically located at the location where any practical training and evaluation takes place", which rules out judging someone over a video call. The 1998 final rule also notes the employer "may need to provide additional training on site-specific or truck-specific matters" even when an outside provider does the rest.

Our course is built for that split. It covers the knowledge portion of 1910.178 in under an hour, in English and Spanish, on a phone or computer. Each operator downloads a certificate and wallet card the minute they pass the 30-question exam, and your team dashboard shows who has finished. Your evaluator then does the hands-on part. Team seats cost $50 each for 2 to 4 operators, $40 for 5 to 9, and $30 for 10 or more.

Certify Your Operators

How do you evaluate a forklift operator?

Watch them do the job, then ask questions. In a 2005 letter OSHA described the usual evaluation in two parts: "observe the powered industrial truck operator during normal operations to determine if the operator is performing safely", and "ask pertinent questions" to confirm they have the knowledge needed.

A written test alone does not count. The same letter says the evaluation "cannot be met by a written exam alone", because a test does not show whether someone drives safely. Evaluate on the truck type and attachments the operator will use, in the areas they will work: the dock, the narrow aisles, the ramp.

Our free forklift operator evaluation form gives your evaluator a task-by-task score sheet to print and fill in on the floor.

What records does a forklift training program need?

One written certification per operator, with four items, under 1910.178(l)(6): the operator's name, the date of the training, the date of the evaluation, and the identity of the person or people who did the training or evaluation.

The format is up to you. OSHA's proposed rule asked for a signature, but the final rule dropped it after commenters asked for records that are easier to computerize; naming the trainer and evaluator is enough. If an outside trainer keeps the records, a 1999 OSHA letter says the employer is still "ultimately responsible for ensuring the availability of these records."

The standard does not say how long to keep them. A sensible practice, not a rule, is to keep each operator's current certification and the one before it.

For what a certificate or wallet card should show, and how to check one a new hire brings in, see our forklift certification card guide. Daily truck checks are a separate duty: 1910.178(q)(7) requires trucks to be examined before being placed in service, at least daily. Our forklift inspection checklist covers it.

How often does a forklift training program repeat?

Every operator is evaluated again at least once every three years, under (l)(4)(iii). Refresher training has no fixed schedule. It is required when one of five things happens, under (l)(4)(ii):

  • The operator is seen operating the truck unsafely.
  • The operator is in an accident or a near-miss.
  • An evaluation shows the operator is not operating safely.
  • The operator is assigned to a different type of truck.
  • A condition in the workplace changes in a way that could affect safe operation.

There is no federal requirement for annual forklift training. What a refresher should cover, and how to run one for a whole crew, is in our guide to forklift certification expiration and refresher training. If part of your crew trains better in Spanish, see forklift training for Spanish-speaking workers.

What does it cost to run a forklift training program?

Mostly your trainer's time, plus whatever you pay for the classroom part. There are three common ways to staff it, and many sites mix them:

Option Classroom part Hands-on part
Online course seats Our course: $50, $40 or $30 per operator by team size Your qualified supervisor or lead
Train your own trainer Your trainer teaches it, using a kit Your trainer
Outside trainer or class In-person classes we surveyed in Sept 2026 ran $70 to $375, 4 hours to a full day The trainer, if they come to your site

Our $299 Train the Trainer course covers the middle option: 13 online lessons for your trainer plus an editable kit with an operator training deck, written tests, an evaluation form and record templates. See forklift Train the Trainer.

The cost of not having a program is higher. OSHA's maximum penalties that may be assessed after January 15, 2026 are $16,550 per serious violation and $165,514 per willful or repeated violation. Our employer cost calculator runs the numbers for your crew.

Frequently asked questions

Does OSHA approve forklift training programs?
No. OSHA does not approve, endorse or certify training programs, courses or trainers, ours included. In a 1999 letter about a forklift course, OSHA wrote that it "cannot endorse or approve any product or services". Your program complies if it does what 1910.178(l) requires, and your certification records show that each operator was trained and evaluated.
Do we need a written forklift training program document?
The standard does not ask for a written program document. What it requires in writing is the certification for each operator under 1910.178(l)(6). A one-page summary of who trains, which trucks are covered and when evaluations are due is still useful, because it keeps the program running when people change jobs.
Do experienced operators have to go through the whole program?
They still need an evaluation on your trucks at your site. Under 1910.178(l)(5), you can skip training topics an operator already covered, if that training fits your trucks and working conditions and the operator has been evaluated and found competent to operate safely.
If an operator is trained at one of our sites, are they covered at another?
Only if the conditions match. In a 2005 letter, OSHA said no extra training or evaluation is needed when all the workplace hazards are the same, but more training is needed if, for example, the warehouse configuration is different or the loads differ in composition or stability. A different type of truck also triggers refresher training under 1910.178(l)(4)(ii)(D).
Do the rules cover electric pallet jacks?
Yes. 1910.178(a)(1) covers motorized hand trucks, so powered pallet jacks and walkie stackers need the same training, evaluation and certification as a sit-down forklift. A manual pallet jack with no motor is not covered.

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