Getting forklift certification in Georgia can definitely boost your chance of landing a high-paying job as an operator. Being certified can also dictate promotion and salary increase. Employers choose certified operators to occupy positions as they do not have to take time sending them off to schools.
If you are an employer, having your workers certified can save you from a lot of trouble. You are not at risk of getting cited with a violation when OSHA inspects your workplace and the certification instill safety awareness among workers.
Having a forklift certification Georgia is crucial because an operator who does not have such qualification can become an immediate threat to himself and other workers in the workplace.
There is no reason why should not get a forklift certification. It involves going through a training course that usually last for a day or two. The course is composed of several steps, see below to follow. It is not complicated, it just a matter of attending the class and doing the practice driving.
To assist you in getting the forklift certification, we prepared this article for you.
Please browse through…
But before you carry on reading this guide, I would like you to spend some time reading these important topics:
- How to Become Certified Driving Forklifts?
- Where Can You Go To Get Forklift License?
- What are the Requirements You Need For Taking the Training?
- How Much Does It Cost You to Get Forklift Training?
- How Long Does It Take You to Complete the Training Course?
- Another Alternative: Online Forklift Training - Is It Suitable for You?
If you are an employer who is planning to get forklift training for your workers, CHECK these important subjects:
- Appoint Someone as Forklift Trainer to Deliver the Training to Save Money
- Is it Your Responsibility to Train the Workers
- What Should the Training Be Composed of to Comply with OSHA
- A worker is Injured at Work, Are You Liable?
- How to Renew Forklift License for Your Workers
How to Take the Forklift Certification Course
- Find a training school where you want to take the certification course – to aid you on this, we prepared a directory of forklift training schools in Georgia, see below. Just inquire about your requirement prior to enrolling in their course.
- Enroll in a course – there are many types of trucks, they differ in many features and how they operate. Please keep in mind that the course curriculum should be exact to the type of forklift you want to be trained on.
- Attend the classroom training – to begin learning what you need to know before setting your hands and foot on the forklift, you will be trained in the classroom. This is one of the vital components of the certification. The classroom training can be taken through an online course or in-person. We strongly discourage you to choose the latter option.
- Take the written test – although written testing is not required by OSHA, it should form part of the evaluation process. Just like any other course, you have the pass a series of written questions. The passing rate is 80%, but because standard varies, it could be different from other schools.
- Attend the practical training – the next step of taking the course is how to safely drive and maneuver the forklift in a controlled environment. You will start operating the forklift without anything loaded on the truck, you will then progress, and the trainer will give you a set of activities to complete. At this stage, you will do the exercises while the trainer is overseeing you. You will do maneuvering, transporting of loads, picking laden pallet, recharging/refueling, parking, and many other tasks that may be deemed necessary for that type of forklift you want to be certified on.
- Take the practical skill evaluation – This is the last stage and the most important part of the certification process. When you’re finished with the practical training, by this time you probably gained a lot of practical skills, it is now time to have yourself evaluated. The trainer will give you a set of tasks to complete, the tasks are basically the same what you had done in the practical training, so there’s nothing to worry about failing the course.
- Receive your credentials - after successful performance evaluation, the trainer will hand over your operator certificate and license card. These are the documents that you can present to an employer when applying for a job or promotion, proving that you had been certified.
READ these Topics about passing the tests:
- How to Pass the Forklift Written Test?
- How to Pass the Forklift Practical Test (Actual Demonstration)?
Forklift Training Schools in Georgia State
- Goodwill of North Georgia - 2201 Lawrenceville Hwy, Suite 300, Decatur, Tel: 404-420-9900
- Atlanta Technical College - 1560 Metropolitan Pkwy SW, Atlanta, Phone: +1 404-225-4461
- B & W Forklift Training Center – 329 Gees Mill Business Pkwy Suite 200, Conyers, GA, Ph: +1 678-413-1111
- Toyota Forklifts of Atlanta - (888-550-6836)
- Komatsu Forklift of Atlanta - 1475 Rock Mountain Blvd, Stone Mountain, Phone: +1 770-938-5071
- Complete Lift Service Inc – 9579 Jackson Trail Rd, Hoschton, Call: +1 706-654-1144
- Erickson's Forklifts, Inc. - 712 N Washington St, Albany, GA, Phone: +1 229-883-3939
- SuperTech, Inc. - 480 Ethan Dr, Fayetteville, GA 30214, Call: +1 770-716-7959
- Savannah Technical College - 5717 White Bluff Rd, Savannah, Call: +1 912-443-5700
- Central Georgia Technical College - 3300 Macon Tech Dr, Macon, GA Contact: +1 478-757-3400
- Florida Lift Systems, Inc. (serves many parts of Georgia) - Call: 800-226-2345
- Columbus Technical College - 928 Manchester Expy, Columbus, GA, Phone: +1 706-649-1800
- L.I.F.T Training - 600 Interchange Dr SW, Atlanta, GA, Tel: +1 678-866-5827
- Wiregrass Georgia Technical College - 4089 Val Tech Rd, Valdosta, GA, Tel: +1 229-333-2100
- South Georgia Technical College - 900 S Georgia Tech Pkwy, Americus, GA Phone: +1 229-931-2760
- Ogeechee Technical College – 1 Joe Kennedy Blvd, Statesboro, GA Ph: +1 912-681-5500
- Oconee Fall Line Technical College - 1189 Deepstep Rd, Sandersville, GA 31082, Tel:+1 478-553-2050
- Clayton County Chamber of Commerce - 2270 Mt Zion Rd, Jonesboro, GA, Tel: +1 678-610-4021
- Dougherty Equipment Company - 5503 Export Blvd, Savannah, GA, Phone:+1 912-966-1011
- All-Lift of Georgia – 175 Carnes Dr, Fayetteville, Phone: +1 770-460-7163
- Accession Distribution Training Center - 658 Lamar Hutchenson Pkwy., Riverdale, Phone: 404-996-1355, Fax:678-999-4748
- Forklift Academy - 390 W Pike St #217, Lawrenceville, (678)884-8777
- Southern States TOYOTAlift, Inc. - Valdosta, 229.247.8377; Macon, 478.788.0520; Midland, 706.660.0067; Albany, 229.338.7277
- West Georgia Technical College - 01 Adamson Square, Carrollton, GA 30117 | (678) 821-3800
- Augusta Technical College - 3200 Augusta Tech Dr., Augusta, 706-771-4000, (706) 771-5712
- Wiregrass Georgia Technical College - 4089 Val Tech Road, Valdosta, (229) 333-2122; (229) 333-2100; Fax (229) 333-2129;
- G&W Equipment - 111 Coleman Blvd. Suite A, Pooler, GA 31322; 912-244-3477
Here's a guide on how to choose the best forklift training school to get quality training:
You Must Meet the Training Requirements
- The operator must be at least 18 years old and a high school diploma is required as formal education for an occupation of a forklift driver.
- Driving forklift for long hours demands the operator to be physically fit and in tip-top shape.
- Employer prefers those candidates with substantial experience and level of competency.
- The driver’s license is not required to drive forklift trucks.
Recertification of Forklift Operators
- OSHA regulation dictates that new operator must be trained first before he can operate a forklift in the workplace and the type of training should be exact to the type of forklift truck he will be using.
- An operator holding an expired license or certificate must take the retraining.
- Those workers involved in near misses and mishaps should be retrained.
- The operator must be retrained is the company introduces a new type of forklift the operator is not familiar with using.
- If there is a significant change in the workplace that could hamper the safe operation of the forklift.
- The trainer or employer must keep the record of the recertification program and ensure that operators’ licenses are the latest.
How Much Does Certified Forklift Operator Make?
A certified forklift operator employed in Georgia can make as much as $39,403.00 per year on average. In South Carolina, the wage is slightly lower.
According to Salary.com as of February 27, 2023, here are the cities and towns of Georgia with high paying wages for forklift operators:
$39,613 - Acworth | $39,651 - Hiram |
$39,688 -Alpharetta | $37,885 - Jesup |
$39,897, Atlanta | $36,358 - La Fayette |
$39,234 - Alto | $36,659 - Lagrange |
$39,613 - Athens | $37,055 - Leslie |
$39,802 - Austell | $37,732 - Macon |
$38,013 - Augusta | $39,783 - Marietta |
$39,613 - Bogart | $39,071 - Mansfield |
$39,727 - Fairburn | $36,711 - Mauk |
$39,878 - Forest Park | $37,447 - Meansville |
$39,613 - Gainesville | $38,055 - Meldrim |
$38,856 - Habersham | $39,745 - Roswell |
$37,885 - Hagan | $38,169 - Savannah |
$38,098 - Hartwell | $39,632 - Woodstock |
$38,856 - Helen | $38,410 - Zebulon |
CHECK this out: Wages and Salary by State and City. This data is from March 28. 2019 survey of Salary.com.
If you can prove your worth to the company, you can expect a salary raise and promotion.
Governing Offices:
To get to know about present legislation, wages and benefits standards, and licensing procedures, you can visit the governing offices listed below.
Georgia Department of Labor
48 Andrew Young International Blvd., NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
www.dol.state.ga.us
(404) 232-7300
OSHA Area Offices
https://www.osha.gov/oshdir/ga.html
Atlanta East Area Office
LaVista Perimeter Office Park
2183 N. Lake Parkway, Building 7
Suite 110, Tucker, Georgia 30084-4154
(770) 493-6644
(770) 493-7725 FAX
Other Cities of GA
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