There is a large market for forklift operators. Nearly all construction sites, warehouses, and shipping docks need at least one forklift operator. Forklift operators usually need a high school diploma or a GED in order to be hired. People who operate forklifts do not need any sort of license or certificate, but they do need extensive training.

The employer must train a forklift operator. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that a forklift operator pass formal and practical training classes and an evaluation before being allowed to operate a forklift independently without supervision. There is no set format that the training must take and there is no license, but the employer must document that the training is completed before the operator is allowed to work. The forklift training does not have to be taught by a professional trainer, anyone who has already completed the training and is experienced and knowledgeable enough to teach the training can do so.

OSHA regulates that a forklift operator