OSHA requires forklift operators to complete a formal education, a practical training program and an employer certification evaluation. Teaching new users and retraining your existing staff doesn't have to be hard. This Forklift Trainer Certification course prepares you to train, evaluate and certify workers yourself in as little as two hours.
Empower teams of any size without the cost, time or complexity of third-person forklift classes. This OSHA-compliant forklift instructor certification course pairs perfectly with our online Forklift Certification course to create a simple, comprehensive in-house training program that will help you certify operators correctly, consistently and compliantly at scale.
Forklift Train the Trainer Course Details
Satisfies Training Standards for:
Designed for:
Individuals Responsible for Teaching and Certifying Forklift Operators
Format:
100% Online Course
Provides:
Digital Certificate of Completion and Printable Wallet Card
Benefits of Online Train the Trainer Certification
Our 100% online course provides a variety of benefits, including:
- Unlimited Test Attempts
- Train Your Forklift Operators Yourself to Save Time and Money
- Valid for All Seven Classes of Lift Truck
- Clear Guidance for OSHA-Compliant Teaching and Evaluations
- Start Teaching Within Hours
- Bulk Discounts Available
Who Needs Forklift Instructor Training?
This training is designed to help employers and supervisors provide in-house forklift training. To meet OSHA requirements for safe forklift operations, employers must certify workers who use powered industrial trucks (PITs).
This course prepares trainers to provide the hands-on instruction and skills evaluation necessary for OSHA-compliant lift truck operator certification.
Testing Requirements
To earn your forklift trainer certification, you must pass a brief quiz at the end of every lesson module. Each quiz consists of five questions drawn from a bank of fifteen possible items. You must score at least 80% to pass before moving on to the next lesson.
At the end of the course, you must pass a final exam. The test contains 20 multiple-choice questions. You must answer at least 80% of the questions correctly to pass.
You may attempt each quiz and the final exam as many times as needed to succeed.
Learning Objectives
After completing the forklift trainer certification course, you will be prepared to:
- Describe the role of a PIT safety trainer according to federal OSHA regulations.
- List the required components of a training program for PIT operators.
- Outline key training techniques that demonstrate basic safety principles and promote hazard awareness for your trainees.
- Identify strategies for scenario-based learning and hands-on instruction that keep adult learners engaged with your training materials.
- Train PIT operators to use sit-down forklifts safely and effectively in real-world conditions.
- Evaluate your trainees' knowledge and performance of safe PIT operation.
- Deliver constructive coaching that ensures PIT operators meet consistent and defensible safety standards.
Course Outline
This course includes 10 learning modules, 10 quizzes and a final exam. You can find a full overview of each module below.
Module 1: What Is a Powered Industrial Truck?
Topics include:
- Course objectives and expected outcomes
- Training qualifies trainers, not operators
- Definition and purpose of Powered Industrial Trucks under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178
- Why operator training matters and how trainers help prevent injuries
- Overview of OSHA's PIT requirements and the trainer's role in compliance
Module 2: Trainer Responsibilities and Regulatory Requirements
Topics include:
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(l) training, evaluation and refresher requirements
- Definitions of authorized, competent and qualified personnel
- Employer and trainer responsibilities for developing and maintaining training programs
- Documentation requirements and recordkeeping best practices
- Refresher training and requalification
Module 3: PIT Types, Features and Basic Operating Principles
Topics include:
- Common PIT types, including forklifts, pallet jacks and telehandlers
- Key components, controls and basic functions
- Understanding data plates, capacity ratings and attachments
- The stability triangle, load centers and center of gravity
- How physics, speed and terrain affect balance and control
Module 4: Pre-Operation Inspection and Maintenance
Topics include:
- OSHA requirements for daily inspections before each shift
- What to check: forks, mast, tires, brakes, steering, horn, fluids and warning devices
- Identifying and reporting defects, tagging out unsafe trucks
- Using and teaching standardized inspection checklists
- Reinforcing consistency and accountability among operators
Module 5: Safe Operating Practices
Topics include:
- Starting, traveling and parking safely
- Steering, braking and visibility techniques
- Traveling with and without loads
- Maintaining proper speed, spacing and awareness
- Pedestrian communication and right-of-way rules
- Working on ramps, docks and in confined areas
- Managing environmental hazards such as lighting and floor conditions
Module 6: Load Handling and Stability Control
Topics include:
- How to read and understand load capacity plates
- Correct methods for lifting, tilting, stacking and unstacking
- Traveling with the load low and tilted back for stability
- Avoiding tip-overs and falling loads
- Demonstrating stability concepts in real-world examples
Module 7: Fueling, Charging and Energy Source Safety
Topics include:
- Refueling procedures for propane, diesel and gasoline
- Battery charging, ventilation and PPE requirements
- Spill and fire prevention
- Emergency response and shutdown procedures
Module 8: Workplace Hazards and Risk Controls
Topics include:
- Common workplace hazards, including narrow aisles, uneven surfaces and overhead obstacles
- Managing pedestrian traffic and maintaining visibility
- Controlling hazards through engineering and administrative methods
- Promoting defensive operation and hazard awareness
Module 9: Training Techniques and Evaluation Methods
Topics include:
- Understanding how adults learn and how to keep training interactive
- Using hands-on demonstrations and real examples
- Evaluating performance through observation and testing
- Providing in-the-moment constructive feedback and coaching
- Maintaining documentation for evaluations and retraining
Module 10: Sit-Down Forklifts
Topics include:
- Teaching counterweight design, balance and center of gravity in a way operators can visualize
- Demonstrating mast tilt, load height and stability using clear, safe examples
- Coaching visibility, steering control and confined-space operation techniques
- Explaining differences between indoor and outdoor use and how surface conditions affect safety
- Guiding and evaluating safe loading and unloading demonstrations while documenting results
Forklift Certification FAQs
What is a Train the Trainer course?
This program is designed to turn experienced PIT operators, supervisors and safety professionals into certified in-house forklift trainers. This certification qualifies individuals to educate, supervise and certify workers to operate a lift truck in compliance with OSHA's 1910.178 standard.
How long is my training certification valid?
Your certificate does not expire. However, periodic retraining is strongly suggested. You should update your skills and refresh your understanding of important safety concepts every three years.
You can repeat this course to update your certification.
What are the benefits of having an in-house forklift training program?
Having certified trainers on staff streamlines the compliance process, grants increased control over scheduling, reduces dependence on outsourced instructors and creates major cost savings.
Take advantage of OSHA-compliant, fully qualified experts who are familiar with the demands and hazards unique to your workplace on demand. This course combines authoritative training, modern digital tracking and instant certification to put employers in the driver's seat of forklift certification, skills development and regulatory compliance.
What are the prerequisites for becoming a forklift training instructor?
According to OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(2)(iii), training must be conducted by someone with the appropriate knowledge, training and experience.
If you wish to become a certified forklift trainer, you should already be certified to operate a forklift and at least 18 years old. You should also have a strong understanding of PIT regulations and safety rules.
Does having a certified trainer on my team improve my company's OSHA compliance?
Yes. Forklift accidents are frequently part of OSHA's annual list of top violations. PIT safety failures claim dozens of lives and cause tens of thousands of injuries each year among drivers and pedestrians alike.
Inconsistent training and incomplete documentation can lead to serious safety failures, large fines and other penalties. Having full control over a seamless, end-to-end proprietary certification system eliminates major compliance failures, recordkeeping gaps and other regulatory risks.
How long does it take to earn my forklift instructor certification?
The course takes approximately two hours to complete. You can start and stop as many times as you like. We save your progress automatically. Download your Certificate of Completion and printable wallet card as soon as you finish.
Related Courses
Browse other online OSHA Education Center courses related to powered industrial truck training:
- OSHA Forklift Certification
- Telehandler Safety Training and Certification
- Pallet Jack Safety Training and Certification
- Aerial and Scissor Lifts