Rough terrain forklifts are the best type of vehicle when transporting heavy loads over uneven and rough terrain – as its name implies.
And let us not forget that anyone who intends to operate this truck must take the training and be certified prior to its operation. With the versatility of this truck, it is no wonder that operator training is very much needed.
Rough terrain forklift training is crucial in every business that utilizes this truck in day-to-day operation. With proper training, it is expected that accidents can be avoided and hefty fines of OSHA can be prevented.
Let us remind you, neglecting to supply rough terrain forklift training to operators has serious legal implications when serious accidents happened in the workplace.
If you have not provided training to yourself or your workers, it is about time to act and supply the training. In this article, we summarize everything you need to know so that you have a sneak peek of what’s going to do/have when undergoing the training.
So without further ado, please read the rest of this article...
Taking the Rough Terrain Forklift Training Course
- Find a training school that offers rough terrain forklift training near your area where you can enroll – there aren’t that many providers of such a course. If you’re an individual, finding a good training provider near your location is the first thing to do. If you’re a business owner, it would be appropriate to hire an instructor to conduct the training course onsite. See below the list of training providers.
- Inquire with your preferred training provider about the prerequisites for attending the course – there may be additional requirements that may be asked before you can be accepted as a student such as age, skill level, prior experience and physical ability.
- Find out if by taking the training course gives you the necessary skills you need for the job - Have a list of qualifications the job requires; prior to enrolling, inquire with your preferred provider if they can provide those to you. Doing so eliminates the mistake of later finding out that the course isn’t suited for your current job or for the job you’re applying for.
- Once enrolled, take the classroom and practical training – these are the two important components of the training course. Depending on the course length, the classroom training can be taken in just 1-2 hours while the practical training can be completed in 4 hours or so.
- Pass the written performance assessments – to get certified, you, as a student, are required to pass these assessments. The instructor will administer the written test to be followed by the operator’s performance assessment.
- When the instructor is satisfied with the student’s performance, he will then certify successful individuals - a certificate and an operator card will be given as proof of evidence that training and certification have been completed by the student. These credentials bear important details such as the course detail, date of the training, name of the school or instructor who conducted the training, the name of the operator, etc.
How Long Does the Rough Terrain Forklift Training Last
That would depend on the skill level of the students. The training can be completed in just a day or less if the students are already familiar with the truck (refresher course). On the other hand, if the students are new to this category of forklift, the training tends to be lengthier, it can be completed in 2-3 days.
The other factor that affects the length of training is where it is going to be conducted. You have two options – either in the school’s training facility or on-site. The latter option is what we can recommend because the instructor can tackle other work-related issues and recommend how those issues can be corrected.
Although online training is also an option to take, it doesn’t tackle the practical exercises, it only covers the theoretical portion. If you are looking for an online training course, Get Your Forklift Certificate Today here.
The other factor that comes into play is the number of students in the class. Small class size is better because the students can have one-on-one discussions with the instructor without much interruption. The ideal number to be considered small is around 5 students.
How Much Does the Rough Terrain Forklift Training Cost
The cost for taking rough terrain forklift training is somewhere in the neighborhood of $125-$190. If you’re handling a large fleet of operators and you want to have them trained, you could negotiate with the training provider to lower the cost.
The best piece of advice we can give for employers is to have an instructor conduct the training in the actual workplace. With this method, workplace and equipment-specific issues can be addressed. The employer can hire an outside consultant or designate in-house training to do it so.
For a large fleet, it is recommended to have an in-house instructor who can perform the training onsite whenever it necessitates. The conduct of training happens in various situations, please read below to know in what situation refresher training must be given to the workers.
If you’re an individual who is just looking to get trained to have credentials and doesn’t have prior experience operating rough terrain forklifts, the cost of taking the training might be a bit more expensive for you. This is because you need to spend an amount of time attending the classroom and theoretical training and having your skills assessed. The lengthier the training is, the more expensive it is.
When Does Refresher Training Happen?
If you’ve been certified to operate a rough terrain forklift, it will take around three (3) years from the date of the previous certification to take a refresher course. Why does it so? Because during that length of time, applicable laws might have been enacted and anyone must be updated to the current standard.
Other causes that will prompt to take a refresher training are
- When the operators received poor performance evaluation (written and practical)
- When the operator got involved in an accident (to correct the mistake he has committed to prevent recurrence) - it is more practical to have an internal trainer conduct in-house training.
- When the operator has been observed operating the vehicle in an unsafe manner – operators should be refrained from horseplaying and letting others ride the truck.
- hen there is a significant change in the workplace that could affect how the vehicle is going to operate – eg: peak season tends to obstruct the corridors with goods and materials resulting in a confined pathway; there’s not much room to maneuver the vehicle. Things like these are to be addressed in refresher training.
- When there is a new type of truck that the operator is not familiar with its operation (every forklift has its own unique characteristics) – the idea is to teach the operators about the vehicle’s unique characteristics.
Finding a Rough Terrain Forklift Training Near Your Area
If you or your company is looking for a training provider near your location, you might want to check the listing below. If you have any specific requirements, make sure you communicate that with them upon inquiry.
- Leavitt Machinery
873 E Pine St., Lodi, CA 95240, Phone: (209) 647-2075
9585 SW Tualatin-Sherwood Rd., Tualatin, OR 97062, Phone: (503) 691-1430
17300 W Valley Hwy., Tukwila, WA 98188, Phone: (425) 251-0600
30 Devon Rd., Brampton, ON L6T 5B5, Phone: (905) 791-0007
1006 Kearns Cres, Regina, RM of Sherwood, SK S4K 0A1, Phone: (855) 721-5438
55 Technology Way SE Unit 10, Calgary, AB T3S 0B3, Phone: (403) 723-7555
51 Leeder St., Coquitlam, BC V3K 3V5, Phone: (604) 607-8000 - Vista Training, Inc.
721 Cornerstone Crossing Waterford, WI 53185
Toll-free: (800) 942-2886, Phone: +1(262) 514-2886 - Health and Safety Council (HASC)
5213 Center Street, Pasadena, TX 77505
(281) 476-9900, Fax: (281) 476-9936
3300 FM 1765, Ste. A, Texas City, TX 77590
(281) 476-9900, ext. 341 - ClickSafety
Burlington, MA 01803, 1.800.971.1080 - ProActive Safety Services
4840 Business Center Way, Cincinnati, OH 45246, Phone: (513) 372-6232 - Industrial Safety Trainers
219 Saunders Rd, Barrie, ON L4N 9A3
Ph: (705) 792-0128, Fax: (855)-792-6619
North Dakota Safety Council
1710 Canary Avenue, Suite A, Bismarck, ND 58501
Ph: 701-223-6372, Tf: 800-932-8890, Fx: 701-223-0087 - Forklift Safety Training Inc.
Miami-Dade: (305)460-0133, Monroe: (305)460-0133
Brevard: (386)492-7852, Broward: (954)270-2799 - Paramount Safety Consulting Inc.
205 Nebo Road, Unit 4, Hamilton, Ontario L8W2E1
Office: 905-661-SAFE (7233) - Stanmore Equipment
3 Anderson Blvd., Uxbridge, ON, L4P 0G5
1-855-955-LIFT (5438) - Core Safety Group
2034 Hamilton Place Blvd., Suite 100 Chattanooga, TN 37421
Toll-Free: 1.888.250.1830 - Simplify Compliance
5511 Virginia Way, Suite 150, Brentwood, TN 37027
Toll 1-800-727-5257
For convenience, it would be wise to take the training in a facility near you. These training providers may have other training facilities near your location where you can register. If I were you, I would make an inquiry with one of these providers and ask if they have a facility near your area.
Knowing the OSHA Forklift Training Requirements
Rough terrain forklifts are considered powered industrial trucks, and therefore it is under the OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178 - Powered industrial trucks regulations, the training must fulfill these three phases:
- Classroom training
- Practical training
- Operator performance assessment
The employer has obligation to supply training to their forklift operators and make sure that each of them is competent to operate the equipment. Here are some of the significant requirements and to learn more about 29 CFR 1910.178 regulation.
Rough terrain forklifts are commonly used on construction sites. You might be asking which OSHA standard covers the training requirements for rough terrain industrial trucks used in the construction industry?
Taking the Certification Online - The Convenient Way to Get Certified
Online training or e-learning is a replacement for traditional classroom training. And there are many a number of training providers that offer such education. You can google it, and you’ll find several of those online providers that offer it.
You might find that registering for online training is much cheaper compared to taking the training in a face-to-face format. It is handy because you can take the training at your own pace, at your most convenient time.
But let me remind you that online training only covers the classroom part of the course. It doesn’t tackle the hands-on training and the operator’s performance assessment as required by OSHA. To get fully certified, you must undergo those three stages – classroom training, practical training and performance assessment.
Anyway, to give you an idea of where you can take the online training, here’s a training provider we can recommend, click here.
To Conclude This
A rough terrain forklift is a type of forklift that has been designed for mobility in rugged terrain. They are used in mines, construction sites, and other environments where there are bumps, hills, and uneven surfaces.
In order to prevent accidents, it is important to be aware of the risks that exist. Forklifts are a common cause of workplace accidents, with thousands of injuries and fatalities every year. The best way to prevent accidents is to supply the right training to operators so that they can have the experience.
The more you train our operators, the better they will be at their jobs. Training is also a great way to make sure that we are all on the same page and that everyone is adhering to a safety culture.
