How To Get Forklift Training

There are some things about forklift training that you just can’t learn in the classroom. You either have a sense for functioning in three-dimensional space without dropping a pallet full of laptop computers without dropping them off the edge of a loading dock or you don’t. In order to qualify for forklift certification, you do need a certain amount of formal instruction. CertifyMe offer OSHA-compliant online instruction on how to safely operate a powered industrial truck (PIT), or forklift.

Within a few short hours, you can have your temporary operator’s card ready to flash confidently at any current or prospective employer. Your employer will have to conduct a hands-on evaluation based on the specific environment you will be working in and the specific type of equipment you will be using.

Once you have registered and paid your one-time course fee of $49.95, you have 24-hour access to the course materials, seven days a week. You don’t even have to bunk off work to do the training. You can complete the course in one or two lunch hours, before or after work.

Why do you need training? If you have been driving forklifts all your life, it may seem a bit silly to go back and complete the necessary training just to get certified. Your employer will not agree with this sentiment. Anyone who knowingly employs a forklift operator who is not certified runs a risk of having OSHA slap them with a heavy fine. Once they are on OSHA’s radar, they will keep a closer eye on who is or isn’t forklift certified.

Don’t do it just for the paperwork. Forklifts have a freakishly high accident rate and an unacceptable number of fatalities each year. Studies have shown that most of these accidents could have been avoided had the operator been properly trained in safe use of the vehicles. There is a wealth of information on the CertifyMe website. Don’t just whiz through the course in an hour to get the card and then forget about it for three years, when your renewal comes due. Spend a few minutes two or three times a week during coffee breaks brushing up on the material. The life and limbs you save may be your own!