Workplace safety and OSHAAwarenessFoundationAvailable in English · Spanish

Forklift Trainer and Evaluator Essentials

For supervisors who deliver practical forklift training and evaluate operators in the workplace

Duration: 1.5 hours
Modules: 4
Final exam: 70% to pass
Certificate: No expiry

$59

Before you buy: what your employer must also provide

This is not a train-the-trainer certification. Under 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(2)(iii) your employer decides who has the knowledge, training and experience to train and evaluate operators, and that includes practical experience with the trucks and attachments used at your site.

Lifetime access to the course and your certificate
Verifiable Certificate of Completion. Certificate does not expire.
3 exam attempts
Progress saved to your account on every slide
The full course, every module, quiz and the final exam, is available in Spanish. Choose your language inside the course at any time.

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Each seat is a single-use code. Send one to each learner; they sign in with their own account and earn their own certificate. Track progress on your Team page.

About this course

Under 29 CFR 1910.178(l), an online course can deliver only the first of three parts of forklift operator training. The other two, practical training and an evaluation of the operator's performance in the workplace, are delivered by people at the site: usually a supervisor, lead or safety specialist. This course is for those people.

You will learn what the standard asks of trainers and evaluators: the knowledge, training and experience test in (l)(2)(iii) and how OSHA has interpreted it, what direct supervision means (OSHA explained in April 2025 that the evaluator must be physically present, so live video does not count), and how to keep trainees and bystanders safe. You will learn to design practical exercises for the truck classes, attachments and site conditions your operators actually face, to run an evaluation that is fair and consistent, to stop unsafe operation, and to record a result of competent or not yet competent. The final module covers the employer's certification under (l)(6), the five refresher triggers, the 3-year re-evaluation, operators with prior training, staffing agency workers and record keeping. Downloadable employer forms are linked in the slides: a practical training checklist, an operator performance evaluation and a training certification record.

This course is not a train-the-trainer certification. OSHA does not certify or approve forklift trainers or training providers, and completing this course does not make you a qualified trainer or evaluator. Your employer decides whether you have the knowledge, training and experience to train and evaluate on each truck type and attachment, mainly from your hands-on skill in that workplace.

The course follows federal OSHA general industry requirements. Construction employers follow 29 CFR 1926.602(d), which applies the same training requirements. State-plan states may have additional or stricter requirements, and employers outside the US follow their own regulations.

The course closes with a 10-question examination drawn from a bank of 20. On passing you receive a PlanetISO Certificate of Completion for the instruction delivered online, with lifetime access to the course. The certificate does not expire.

What you will be able to do

Explain the three parts of forklift operator training and which parts must be delivered in the workplace.
Describe what knowledge, training and experience mean for a trainer or evaluator, and why OSHA does not certify trainers.
Apply the direct supervision requirement to trainees, including OSHA's 2025 interpretation on live video.
Design practical exercises for the truck classes, attachments and site hazards operators will meet.
Run a fair, consistent workplace evaluation with observable criteria, and stop unsafe operation.
List the contents of the employer's certification and the five refresher training triggers.
Handle operators with prior training and staffing agency workers, and keep training records.

Course outline

1
The trainer and evaluator role under 29 CFR 1910.178(l)
The three parts of forklift operator training, who may deliver the practical training and the evaluation, what direct supervision means, and why this course is not a train-the-trainer certification.
About 22 minutes, then a module quiz
2
Designing practical training for your trucks and your site
How to build practical exercises around the truck classes, attachments and site conditions your operators will actually meet, and how to keep trainees and bystanders safe while they learn.
About 24 minutes, then a module quiz
3
Running a fair evaluation
How to evaluate an operator in the workplace against observable criteria, keep evaluations consistent between evaluators, stop unsafe operation, decide competent or not yet competent, and give useful feedback.
About 22 minutes, then a module quiz
4
Certification, refresher training and records
What the employer's certification must contain, when refresher training and re-evaluation are required, how to handle operators with prior training, and how to keep records that stand up to an inspection.
About 22 minutes, then a module quiz
Final examination and certificate
10 questions drawn from the course bank. Score 70% or higher to receive your Certificate of Completion.

Who it is for

Warehouse, shipping and production supervisors who train or evaluate forklift operators
Shift leads and experienced operators asked by their employer to deliver practical training
Safety and EHS specialists who build or audit forklift training programs
HR and training coordinators who keep operator certification records

Prerequisites

Hands-on experience operating the powered industrial trucks you will train on. Completion of Forklift Operator Training: Formal Instruction, or equivalent knowledge, is recommended.

Questions

Is this a train-the-trainer certification?

No. OSHA does not certify, license or approve forklift trainers, and this course does not make you a qualified trainer or evaluator. It gives you background knowledge for the role. Your employer decides whether you have the knowledge, training and experience required by 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(2)(iii), mainly from your hands-on skill with the specific trucks, attachments and conditions you will train on.

Does this course authorize me to operate a forklift?

No. Only your employer can authorize you, after formal instruction, practical training and an evaluation of your performance in your workplace, followed by the employer's certification.

Can I evaluate operators by video call?

No. In a letter dated 1 April 2025, OSHA explained that direct supervision requires the person who observes and evaluates to be physically present where the practical training and evaluation take place.

Are the forms in the course mandatory?

No. The standard requires the certification contents in 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(6), not a particular form. The practical training checklist, operator evaluation and certification record are starting points that you adapt to your trucks and site. They carry no PlanetISO signature; your trainer, evaluator and employer sign them.

Does the course cover my state's requirements?

It follows federal OSHA. State-plan states, such as California, may have additional or stricter requirements, and construction employers follow 29 CFR 1926.602(d). Employers outside the US follow their own regulations.

What certificate do I receive?

A PlanetISO Certificate of Completion for the instruction delivered online, showing the course title, your name and your exam result. It does not expire. It is not a trainer license or certification.

What happens if I fail the exam?

You have 3 attempts. Each attempt draws a different 10-question set from the bank of 20, and module quizzes can be retaken without limit to prepare.

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About this course

What you will be able to do

Course outline

The trainer and evaluator role under 29 CFR 1910.178(l)

Designing practical training for your trucks and your site

Running a fair evaluation

Certification, refresher training and records

Final examination and certificate

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