How Much Does Forklift Training Cost?

$ rson Certification: Up to $200

$ $ Online Certification: $50-$200

Forklift operators get specialized training that teaches them how to work with forklift trucks, high lift trucks, tough terrain trucks and rider trucks, pallet trucks, and counterbalanced trucks.

Besides using forklifts, workers are taught how to be in charge of warehouse inventory, how to label goods, how to do equipment maintenance, how to load and unload deliveries and keep track of business transactions.

According to Education Portal, there is no formal degree program required for forklift drivers, and thus the typical career path could involve working in a warehouse and being mentored on the job by an experienced forklift operator.

Typical Costs

The online forklift certification courses are priced between  $50-$200.

Certify Me provides such online forklift certification courses from $50, and the students can specialize in rough terrain forklifts, warehouse forklifts, or pallet jacks and order pickers.

Forklift operators can take an online course for the sum of $110 and become qualified forklift safety trainers for their company or organization.

Self-paced online training is provided by The Forklift Certification for $149, and it covers OSHA safety standards.

At the same time, the in-person forklift 1-2 day certification courses cost up to $200.

The training is handled in-house by an employer or by an outside trainer.

Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, OH, offers a one-day forklift operator training course for $200, where the class runs for eight hours with a maximum of four students who get hands-on equipment training in a warehouse.

Upon completion, the students receive a certificate and an operator’s license.

The Forklift Academy offers courses at Santa Fe Springs, CA, for $150, where one-day class runs six hours and includes classroom and hands-on training, safety, and a written test.

Once the class is finished, a certificate and operator ID card are issued, and course graduates will be assisted with job placement through local companies or temporary agencies.

What Is Included

According to Education Portal, the students need to learn how to load and unload, how to do proper forklift operation techniques, how to transport hazardous material.

Additional Costs

The companies that want to purchase a forklift operator certification program for training employees, need to pay $300 or more for a kit.

The program from Forklift Certification, for example, is $314 shipped and includes 20 operator cards and certificates, PowerPoint presentations, evaluation checklists, a binder and trainer’s log.

Discounts

Employees could also be trained to operate a forklift by an employer at no cost in a formal or informal training program.

Shopping For Forklift Training

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration provides the standards for employers that want to implement a forklift certification program, and also a sample test for forklift operators which lists the required skills that a certified forklift operator has to demonstrate.