If you are asking where can you learn how to drive a forklift, then you are at the right place, here, we have listed down the training providers where you can get training. We have composed this guide to inform you everything you need to understand in order for you to make an informed decision where you can take forklift training from since there are many possible choices you can make. You can learn to operate fork truck in local community colleges, vocational trade schools, heavy equipment rental facilities, forklift dealer and truck driving schools are the routes you can take.
Here are the Training Providers Where You Can Go To Operate Forklift
As we mentioned above, here are the directory of training providers with their postal addresses and contact details so that you can easily contact them.
Local Community Colleges
Taking the training from community college can be idyllic for those individuals who are short in budget. Some community colleges can provide forklift training at no cost or at lower tuition fees. Community college can be a suitable place to get forklift training because trainees don’t have to go far away, and because of its proximity, student can have convenient time to take the course.
You can contact your local community college. Make an inquiry if there are forklift training courses available and convenient to your time. Here are some of the community colleges that offer forklift operator safety training:
- Kishwaukee College - 21193 Malta Road, Malta, IL – You may contact: email
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 815-825-9441 - Prince George Community College (Transportation and Distribution Institute) - 301 Largo Road, Largo, Maryland, Call: 301-546-0062 or email:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Houston Community College - 3100 Main St., Houston TX 77002, Phone: 713.718.2070, Phone: 713.718.7478
- Shelton State Community College - 9500 Old Greensboro Rd., Tuscaloosa, AL 35405, For inquiry, email
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or call Phone:205.391.2434 - Spartanburg Community College (Continuing Education)- PO Box 4386, Spartanburg, South Carolina 29305, Phone (864) 592-4900, (877) 592-4408
- Meridian Community College - 910 Highway 19 N, Meridian, MS 39307, Contact: Lynne Carey, Phone: 601-481-1300
- Guilford Technical Community College - 601 E Main St, Jamestown, NC 27282, Phone: +1 336-334-4822
- Hagerstown Community College - 11400 Robinwood Drive, Hagerstown, Maryland, 21742, Phone: 240-500-2000
- Central Piedmont Community College - 1201 Elizabeth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28235, Call 704.330.4223, 704.330.4223
- Beaufort County Community College - 5337 US HWY 264 East Washington, NC 27889Lou Stout, Phone: (252) 940-6307, Fax: (252) 940-6254,
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Owens Community College - 30335 Oregon Rd, Perrysburg, OH 43551, Call: (567) 661-7319
- Southeast Community College - 4771 W. Scott Rd., Beatrice, NE 68310, Call: 402-228-3468
- Cecil College - One Seahawk Drive, North East, MD 21901, for inquiry call 410-287-1000
- Virginia's Community Colleges - 300 Arboretum Place, Suite 200, Richmond, VA 23
- Mitchell Community College - 701 W. Front Street, Statesville, NC 28677, Phone:
- (704) 878-3220
- Frederick Community College - 7932 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick, MD 21702, Phone: 301.846.2400
- Kansas City Kansas Community College - 7250 State Ave Kansas City, Kansas 66112, Phone: 913-288-7660
- Luzerne County Community College - 1333 South Prospect Street, Nanticoke, PA, 8634-3899, Phone: 1-800-377-5222
- Hinds Community College - 501 E Main St, Raymond, MS 39154, Phone: 601-559-5604
- Aims Community College – Phone: 970.330.8008, 5401 West 20th Street, Greeley, Co 80634
- Cuyahoga Community College - 700 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, Contact: Andrea Hare, Phone: 216-987-3226, email:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - West Hills Community College District - 9900 Cody St. - Coalinga, CA 93210 – Phone: 1-559-934-2100
- Olive-Harvey - 10001 South Woodlawn AveChicago, IL 60628, Phone: (773) 291-6100
- Hawkeye Community College - 1501 East Orange Rd., P.O. Box 8015, Waterloo, IA, Phone: 319-296-2320, Operator Line: 319-296-4444
- Leeward Community College - 96-045 Ala ‘Ike, Rm CE-101, Pearl City, HI 96782, Ph: 808-455-0477, Fax: 808-453-6730
- Elgin Community College - 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin, IL 60123-7139, Phone: 847-697-1000
Vocational Trade Schools
There are two forklift training trade schools that I can recommend for you, namely:
CertifyMe.Net – offers in-house or on-site forklift training, curriculums is offered in Spanish language as well, they also provide forklift train-the-trainer course, service most of the states,
You may contact this trade school at this phone: 888-699-4800, or at their email address:
US Forklift Operator Certification – This training school offers service in many states, they also service Canada and Mexico. This school provides online forklift certification. The training curriculum complies with OSHA standard; provide forklift training services to individuals and employers.
You can reach this training school at this phone number: +1 866-556-8732; or at their mailing address: 14090 Farm to Market 2920 #353, Tomball, TX 77377,
They been in the training business for quite sometime, you can be assured of quality training if you opted to take the course from them.
Heavy Equipment Rental Facilities
Did you know that facilities where forklift training is to be conducted play a major role in the absorption of knowledge by the students? This is where the heavy equipment rental companies have a good advantage. If you prefer to take forklift training from rental company, then you could be assured of high-quality facilities such as classroom and near-identical work environment, aside from state of the art forklifts they have in their arsenal.
Below are a number of heavy equipment rental companies that offer forklift training course:
- Associated Training Services - 7190 Elder Lane Sun Prairie, WI 53590, Phone: (800) 383-7364
- Toyota Material Handling U.S.A – serves many of the states, call: 1.800.226.0009
- United Rentals, Inc. - 100 First Stamford Place., Ste 700, Stamford, CT 06902, Phone: 203.622.3131, 844.873.4948
- Ahern Rentals - 1401 Mineral Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89106, phone: 800.400.1610
- Liftech Equipment Companies - 6847 Ellicott Drive, East Syracuse, Ny 13057, Phone: 315-463-7333, Toll: 877-Liftech
- Leavitt Machinery – Provides many other heavy equipment and safety training aside from forklift training. Serves Oregon. Washington, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. Contact toll hotline 1-866-LEAVITT
- Equipment World Thunder Bay (Head Office) - 988 Alloy Drive, Thunder Bay ON P7B 6A5, phone: 807-623-9561, toll free: 1-800-465-6955, fax: 807-623-2943
- Herculift Inc - 5655 Hwy 12 W., Maple Plain, MN 55359, Toll Free Phone: 800-362-3500, Phone: 763-479-2501, Fax: 763-479-2296. Serves other nearby states as well.
- Herc Rentals Inc. - 27500 Riverview Center Blvd, Ste 100, Bonita Springs, FL 34134 - 800-654-6659,
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Hugg & Hall (Training Department) – Serves Little Rock, AR (1-501-569-5837), Blytheville, AR, Conway, AR, El Dorado, AR, Fort Smith, AR, Jonesboro, AR (1-870-333-9063), Springdale, AR (1-479-361-9347), Texarkana, AR (1-870-875-5835), Baton Rouge, LA (1-337-330-5024), Broussard, LA (1-337-330-5024), Houma, LA, Oklahoma City, OK, Tulsa, OK (1-918-513-8792).
- Fairchild Equipment – Provides training in Wisconsin and Minnesota states, you can contact: (844) 432-4724, gives initial forklift training, refresher courses and train the trainer courses.
- Star Rentals - 1919 4th Ave S, Seattle WA 98134, 206-622-7880,
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; provides service in Oregon (503-231-7300) and, Washington (253-854-3922).
Forklift Dealers
Forklift training can be delivered by the dealers themselves. Training from them is ideal because they have developed training curriculum best suited for a specific forklift brand and model. Instructors from forklift dealers are highly specialized since the type of equipment they’re handling are forklifts. Instructor can give trainees the best training possible.
If you choose to take forklift certification course from the dealer, here are some of them:
• Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc. - 2121 West Sam Houston Parkway North, Houston, Texas 77043
• Yale Forklifts – you may visit: www.yale.com/north-america to find more about nearest dealer that provide training in your area.
• Komatsu America Corp. - 1701 Golf Road, Suite 1-100, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008, Phone: (847) 437-5800
• Blue Giant Equipment Corporation - 85 Heart Lake Road South, Brampton, Ontario L6W 3K2, Canada, Telephone: (800) 668-7078
• RS of Wausau - 5405 Mesker Street, Schofield, WI 54476, Phone: 715-355-1668
Fax: 715-355-4242, www.irsofwausau.com
• The Raymond Corporation - 22 South Canal Street, Greene, NY 13778, Phone: 1-800-235-7200, Phone: 607-656-2311, Fax: 1-607-656-9005
• UniCarriers Americas (Training Department) - 815-568-1485, 800-871-5438 (LIFT)
Truck Driving Schools
When taking forklift training in a truck driving school you must remember some basic tips in choosing the best one. First, the length or the number years they’ve been in the business, the longer they are, the more reputable they will be. The second thing to consider when choosing is their track record. You can scour or ask trainees who’ve undergone training in a particular school and know how the school delivers. The third one to consider when selecting is if the driving school provide job placement after training course completion. The fourth advice to regard is the ratio of student to instructor. The lesser student in a class, the better will be for you to absorb knowledge you needed for the job.
If you opted to take forklift training from a truck driving school, here’s the schools you can enrolled at in the US and Canada.
- City Truck & Forklift Driving School - 7003 Steeles Ave W, Unit #9
- Toronto, ON M9W 0A2, Telephone: 416.749.9449
- L.I.F.T. Training - Mississauga Forklift Training - 6130 Tomken, Road Mississauga, ONL5T 1X7, Phone: (905) 461-0039
- Tri-County Training - 480 Waydom Drive, Ayr, Ontario N0B 1E0, Phone: (519) 653-1700
- Ontario Truck Driving School - 427 Exeter Rd. London, ON, Canada. (N6E 2Z3) Tel.: (519) 858-9338, Toll: 1-800-799- JOBS (5627)
- Toronto Truck Driving School - 225 Claireport Crescent, Toronto ON M9W 6P7, Toll Free: 1-800-263-6748, Fax: 416-674-7908
- AAA Bestway Truck-Forklift Driving School - 1780 Albion Rd, Etobicoke, ON M9V 1C1, Tel: 416-740-4466
- EZ Wheels – Driving School - There are five training locations in NJ: Union City, Passaic , Hopelawn (Woodbridge), and Dover. Contact telephone number 888-562-0220
- Ferrari Driving School - 3232 Steinway St. Astoria, NY 11103, Call at 718-278-6679
- Smith & Solomon Commercial Driver Training – located in New Jersey, forklift training is held in monthly basis, you may contact 1-800-622-0355 for inquiry of schedule.
- Great Truck Driving School & Forklift - 2552 Finch Ave. West, Unit# 103, Toronto, (Finch Dale Plaza), Ontario, M9M 2G3, Phone: 416-745-5700
- Worldwide Truck Driving School - 100 Rexdale Blvd. Suite 300 Etobicoke, ON, M9W 1N7, Phone :(416)-741-1515
- American Truck School LLC – Aside from forklift training course they provide, they also assist individual to get a job. They are located at Commericial Way, Redding CA 96003, You may contact them at (888)700-5693, 8530, 530.223.5693, 888.700.5693
- Mike’s Driving School, Inc. - 1085 N Black Horse Pike, Suite 7, Williamstown, NJ 08094, (856) 728-2332 or (800) 728-2332
- Commercial Driver Training - 600 Patton Avenue West Babylon, NY 11704, Phone: (631) 206-6224
A Reminder: When Learning to Operate Forklift, Safety Must Be Top Priority
Let’s admit it, when operating the forklift there will always be danger that entails. Forklift has been the cause of dozens of deaths and thousands of injuries each year according to OSHA and BLS. Because of the rising statistics, OSHA implemented and enforced their 9 CFR 1910.178 forklift training standard. According to this standard, forklift training shall composed of classroom lecture and practical assessment before an operator can be certified. Other provisions has also been stated. For more information, read this.
The most common forklift accidents are tipping/turning over and hitting of structure inside the warehouse that cause damage to property. Injury from forklift can be life-long suffering and the money that will be lost in an accident can be staggering amount. Accidents involving forklifts can be somehow prevented in the day to day work shifts. Employers are required to have a safety program for their forklift operators detailing measures in supplying of regular training course to their workers.
To Conclude This
Getting forklift training is important if you are seeking employment as operator or if you just want to add additional skills into your portfolio. Above are the possible locations where you can learn how to drive a forklift. So there you have it, we even included the addresses and contact numbers of each training providers so that you won’t be having hard time contacting them if you do so.
Image Attribution: By Petty Officer 3rd Class Foster Bamford, U.S. Navy - www.defense.gov, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20689748
