Forklift License in Arizona

Qualified and licensed forklift operators in Arizona are very in demand due to the progress of construction industries and logistics businesses in this state.  Employers typically favor those job applicants who have been certified or have considerable amount of experience driving forklifts. An applicant intending to work as forklift operator can take the training course through accredited school or provider.

Having a forklift license can be your most valuable advantage to get hired by an employer in Arizona or if you are presently working as forklift operator, then certainly you know that becoming OSHA certified is a prerequisite to operate the machine legally. 

How to Get Forklift License

1. Enroll for the training course with the school you’ve chosen. List of schools in Arizona and requirements are mentioned below.
2. Attend the theoretical training and practical training. The theoretical classroom lecture can be completed in just 5 hours. The practical training or hands-on operation is the vital part of the course, at this part, trainer will review your competency driving forklift.
3. Take the written test and practical training exam.
4. If you’re successful passing the tests, you will be issued with forklift certification and license card.
5. The forklift license is valid for three years.

Operator without forklift license can be trained by in-house trainer of the company he is working for to comply with OSHA training requirement.

If you’re an employer and needing much need training and skill upgrade for your forklift operators, you can also contact the school, the school can send certified trainer to your workplace to conduct the training. This is very ideal because the trainer can suit that type of training he can give specific to the workers’ actual working environment.

READ these to help you pass the training exams:

• Pass the Written Exam
• Download Test Questionnaire Here
• Pass the Hands-on Practical Training

Here are more vital topics you need to understand, READ these:

• Common Question: Workers is Injured While Driving Forklift During His Duty, Is His Employer Liable?
• Can You Still Use Your Forklift Certification When Transferring to Another Employer (in Other State)?
• How to Get Certified Driving the Forklift?
• Where to Get Certified Operating the Forklift?
• How to Choose the Best Forklift School to Get Quality Training?
• What are the Requirements You Need?
  
• How Much Will It Cost You?
  
• How Long is the Training?

Forklift Training schools in Arizona

You can become certified only when you attend the course in person. There are several training providers that you can find that offer online certification. I am not an advocate of this because the knowledge you can gain through this method is limited compare to attending the training in actual aside from you cannot be completely trained.

Here are the training schools in Arizona:

Tip: When you are looking for training school, never disclose with them the type of lift truck you want to be trained on, just ask what are the forklift trainings they can propose. The reason for this is because you do not want to get receive an answer that they are specialized for that particular training you need, even though they are not.

Forklift Certification Curriculum

The curriculum is consisting of theory and actual operation. The topics that will cover are the following:

• Safety Training
• General Operating Procedures
• Vehicle Maneuvering
• Load Management
• Operational Maintenance
• Reporting of hazard in the workplace
• Risk analysis
• First-hand Experience
• Load computation
• Post operational check up
• Proper parking

At the end of the course, the student must pass the evaluation to be certified.

Who Qualifies to Take the forklift certification

• Must be at least 18 years of age
• High school diploma or GED certificate
• Driver’s license(optional)
• forklift experience recommended
• At least with eighth grade reading level
• Must be in very good physical condition and can stand for long hours of work
• Understanding for accurate inventory of materials

Salary of a Licensed Operator

According to salary.com, the lift truck driver working in Phoenix can be offered salary ranging from $29,297-$37,545 per year (as of March 31, 2017). There’s a great deviation of wages from town to town in Arizona.

For more information about forklift operator salary of every city in this state, check this operator salary matrix.

The reasons for this differences in wages could be skill level and experience of the worker, size and stability of the company. While in the neighboring state of New Mexico, operator hourly wage is slighly higher. 

Here are the cities of AZ with highest pay as of March 31, 2017:

$33,300 - Avondale
$33,653 - Chandler
$33,653 - Gilbert
$34,384 - Glendale
$33,653 - Mesa
$33,486 - Peoria
$34,384 - Phoenix
$33,653 - Scottsdale
$27,230 - Sierra Vista
$32,751 - Sun City
$33,653 - Tempe
$35,445 - Yuma

An employee can expect endorsement and salary raise if he can show his value to the company. An ordinary operator who could climb the corporate ladder, can be a candidate for job promotion. In such case, he could become an internal trainer responsible for handling training-related roles.

If you are still unemployed, and wanting to apply for a job, here the topics you need to READ:

• How to Write a Resume that Will Impress the Hiring Manager
• How to Write an Application Letter
• How to Find a Forklift Job Even Without Experience
• Is Driving Forklift the Right Job For You
• Prospecting Your New Job

Governing Agencies:

If you have questions regarding rules, legislations and laws pertaining to workplace health and safety, wages and benefits, and forklift operation policies, here are the governing bodies in Arizona:
Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) visit their website or personally visit Industrial Commission of Arizona, 800 West Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ, contact them at (602) 542-4411

Other Locations of AZ

Apache Junction, Avondale, Buckeye, Bullhead City, Camp Verde, Casa Grande, Chandler, Chino Valley, Coolidge, Cottonwood, Douglas, El Mirage, Eloy, Flagstaff, Florence, Fountain Hills, Gilbert, Glendale, Kingman, Lake Havasu City, Marana, Maricopa, Mesa, Nogales, Oro Valley, Paradise Valley, Payson, Peoria, Prescott, Prescott Valley, Queen Creek, Safford, Somerton, Sahuarita, Guadalupe, San Luis, Surprise, Scottsdale, Yuma, Winslow, Wickenburg, Tempe, Sedona, Show Low, Sierra Vista, Tolleson, Snowflake,