How to Get Forklift Certified in New Jersey

New Jersey is on OSHA’s list of State Plans, but its plan is a public-sector-only plan. According to OSHA’s State Plans page, the New Jersey plan covers state and local government workers, run through the Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health program (PEOSH). Employees of private companies, which means nearly every New Jersey warehouse, truck terminal, factory and store, are covered by federal OSHA.

For those workplaces the forklift rule is 29 CFR 1910.178(l). It calls for formal instruction, practical training and an evaluation of the operator’s performance in the workplace, plus the employer’s certification. Nobody in New Jersey issues a general forklift license, and OSHA does not approve, certify or accredit online training providers.

1. Take the online forklift course. It covers the topics in 1910.178(l)(3): controls, steering, visibility, stability, inspection, charging or fueling, load handling, pedestrians, ramps and ventilation.
2. Pass the exam. With Gama Safety the pass mark is 80% and retakes are unlimited and free.
3. Download the certificate and wallet card immediately after passing.
4. Complete practical training on the type of truck you will use, with a qualified trainer.
5. Pass the workplace evaluation at the employer’s site.
6. Collect the employer’s certification and keep your own copy.

If you work for the State of New Jersey, a county, a municipality, a school district or a similar public body, your workplace safety falls under PEOSH rather than federal OSHA. We have not verified PEOSH’s own forklift wording for this guide, so check with your safety coordinator for the written program your employer follows. If you work for a private company, even one that contracts for a public agency, you are in the federal OSHA system.

Many New Jersey workers sit in the private category through staffing agencies. If an agency places you at a client warehouse, make sure you know who is responsible for the practical training and evaluation on that client’s trucks, since that is the step the online course cannot do for you.

The standard accepts interactive computer learning as a form of formal instruction, so the classroom part can be done on a phone, tablet or computer. The practical training and evaluation cannot. Any site that promises a New Jersey “forklift license” with no hands-on step is not describing the rule accurately. The honest version: the online certificate proves your instruction is done, and the employer completes the process.

New Jersey sits in the middle of one of the busiest freight regions in the country, and operators are needed in:

• The port and rail complex around Newark and Elizabeth, with container handling, intermodal yards and the many warehouses and cross-docks around them.
• The warehouse belts along the New Jersey Turnpike corridor, Route 1 and I-78 in central and northern New Jersey.
• Pharmaceutical, chemical and food manufacturing plants in the state’s industrial counties.
• Retail and building supply distribution serving New York, Philadelphia and the shore.

Port and terminal work often involves outdoor operation, heavy loads and container handling, so employers need training that matches those conditions.

People searching for port jobs often ask whether a special port forklift card exists. Under the federal forklift rule, nothing in this guide’s sources creates one for general operators. Marine terminals can have their own employer requirements and, for longshore or terminal work, separate federal marine terminal rules that this guide does not cover. If a terminal operator or hiring hall asks for specific documents, ask for the list in writing. The online forklift course covers the general-industry powered industrial truck fundamentals.

• Online instruction: about 2 hours, self-paced.
• Practical training and evaluation: commonly a few hours with your employer.
• Online course price: Gama Safety’s forklift course is US$59, including certificate, printable wallet card and unlimited retakes.
• In-person classes with seat time on a truck generally cost more.

Under 1910.178(l)(4), each operator’s performance must be evaluated at least once every three years. Refresher training is required sooner if you are seen operating unsafely, have an accident or near-miss, get a poor evaluation, move to a different truck type or the workplace changes in a way that affects safe operation. Changing employers means the new employer must satisfy itself that you are competent on its equipment.

Gama Safety’s in-person classes are only in Fresno, California (forklift certification in Fresno, CA), so they are not an option in New Jersey. Practical training is normally provided by your employer. A company with a New Jersey crew can request crew training from us.

Team pricing is on the forklift course page. The certification record required by 1910.178(l)(6) lists the operator’s name, training date, evaluation date, and the name of the person who trained or evaluated. Staffing and logistics firms that move operators between client sites should record which truck types each person was evaluated on.

• OSHA, State Plans, covering the New Jersey public-sector plan.
• OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.178, Powered industrial trucks.
• New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH).
• U.S. Department of Labor, Child labor rules for non-agricultural occupations.