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Equipment & Vehicle Operations Training


Practical Training for Florida Fleets, Public Works, Utilities and Worksites

Safe operation depends on more than knowing where the controls are. Operators and drivers must recognize hazards, understand equipment limitations, follow employer procedures and demonstrate that they can perform assigned work safely.

Tampa Bay Training provides instructor-led equipment and vehicle safety programs for local government, public works, utilities, construction, engineering, infrastructure and other Florida employers. Full operator programs are conducted onsite so instruction and evaluation can address the client's equipment and operating environment.

Tampa Bay Training does not provide Commercial Driver's License instruction and does not issue a CDL.


Choose the Right Program

Program Delivery Length Price Assessment and completion document
Forklift Operator Training and Evaluation Onsite 4–8 hours $99/person 25-question exam, practical evaluation, J. J. Keller certificate and equipment-specific wallet card
Defensive Driving for Fleet and Commercial Drivers Onsite 4–8 hours $99/person 50-question exam and J. J. Keller certificate
Aerial Lift Operator Training and Evaluation Onsite 4–8 hours $99/person 50-question exam, practical evaluation, Certify Us certificate and equipment-specific wallet card
Reasonable Suspicion Training for Supervisors of CDL Drivers Onsite 4–8 hours $99/person 25-question exam and J. J. Keller certificate
Alcohol & Drug Testing: What Drivers Need to Know Onsite 4–8 hours $99/person 25-question exam and J. J. Keller certificate
Alcohol and Substance Abuse Training for Supervisors and Employees Onsite 4 hours $99/person 25-question exam and J. J. Keller certificate
Live Online Introduction to Forklift Safety Awareness Live online 2 hours $65/person 25-question exam and J. J. Keller classroom-portion certificate

Optional course handbooks are $10 each for the onsite programs. The live online forklift-awareness course does not include or offer a handbook.


Equipment Operator Training and Evaluation

Forklift Operator Training and Evaluation

This onsite program combines formal instruction, practical training and a workplace performance evaluation. Students train on the types of powered industrial trucks they are expected to operate. Successful participants receive a J. J. Keller certificate and a wallet card identifying the truck types on which they were trained and evaluated.

Tampa Bay Training uses a three-year training and evaluation cycle. Refresher training or reevaluation may be needed sooner following unsafe operation, an accident or near miss, an unsatisfactory evaluation, assignment to a different truck type or a relevant workplace change.

Aerial Lift Operator Training and Evaluation

This onsite program may address articulating boom lifts, telescopic boom lifts, vehicle-mounted bucket trucks, scissor lifts and other mobile elevating work platforms included in the approved class scope. Students complete classroom instruction, a written examination and a hands-on evaluation using the client's equipment.

Successful participants receive a Certify Us certificate and an equipment-specific wallet card.

OSHA does not establish a fixed expiration date for aerial-lift training. TBT recommends documented refresher training and reevaluation at least every three years and sooner when an incident, unsafe operation, different equipment, new hazard or workplace change indicates a need.


Fleet and CDL Safety Training

Defensive Driving for Fleet and Commercial Drivers

Defensive Driving helps drivers recognize hazards, manage speed and space, prepare for changing conditions and reduce preventable incidents. It is appropriate for commercial, municipal, utility, public works, construction and other employees who drive as part of their work.

Successful participants receive a J. J. Keller certificate. TBT recommends refresher training every one to two years or sooner following an incident, near miss, unsafe driving concern, policy change or change in assigned vehicle.

Reasonable Suspicion Training for Supervisors of CDL Drivers

This program is designed for people who supervise CDL drivers subject to FMCSA drug-and-alcohol testing requirements. It includes at least 60 minutes addressing alcohol misuse and at least 60 minutes addressing controlled-substance use, along with observation, documentation and decision-making practice.

FMCSA generally treats the supervisor training as a one-time requirement, but TBT recommends refresher training every two years to reinforce documentation, policy and decision-making skills.

Alcohol & Drug Testing: What Drivers Need to Know

This employee-education program helps CDL drivers understand prohibited conduct, testing situations, consequences, responsibilities and the employer's drug-and-alcohol policy.

FMCSA does not establish a recurring interval for driver education. TBT recommends refresher training every two years and sooner when regulations, employer policies, testing procedures or employee responsibilities change.

Alcohol and Substance Abuse Training for Supervisors and Employees

This broader workplace program addresses alcohol and substance-abuse awareness, workplace warning signs, employee responsibilities, reporting channels, employer policies and available support. It is appropriate for organizations seeking general employee or supervisor education outside the specialized CDL reasonable-suspicion course.

This course does not replace the FMCSA-required Reasonable Suspicion Training for designated supervisors of CDL drivers.


Live Online Forklift Safety Awareness

The two-hour live online course introduces forklift hazards, basic operating principles, inspections, stability and safe-work practices. It is available as public open enrollment through Eventbrite and as a private scheduled class.

Successful participants receive a J. J. Keller certificate stating that they completed only the formal/classroom portion of forklift training. Before an employee operates a forklift, the employer must provide practical training and complete a workplace performance evaluation on the applicable equipment.


Private Onsite Training

The six full onsite programs have a seven-participant billing minimum and a maximum of 20 participants. If fewer than seven people attend, the organization is billed for seven.

For forklift and aerial-lift classes, the final schedule depends on enrollment, the number and types of equipment, instructor staffing and the time required to evaluate each participant. Tampa Bay Training may use two instructors when appropriate.


Onsite Host Responsibilities

The host should provide:

  • A clean instructional room with tables and chairs
  • A television, display or projector when available
  • A controlled practical-training and evaluation area for equipment courses
  • Safe, operational equipment representative of what participants will use
  • Applicable manufacturer operating manuals and site procedures
  • Appropriate personal protective equipment
  • A site contact authorized to address equipment and workplace questions

Tampa Bay Training will confirm the equipment types, facility needs, agenda and evaluation plan before the class.


Certificates, Wallet Cards and Employer Responsibility

Course certificates and wallet cards document the training and evaluation completed during the scheduled program. They are not government licenses and do not transfer responsibility for workplace safety to the training provider.

The employer remains responsible for determining regulatory coverage, selecting qualified operators, providing site- and equipment-specific information, maintaining required records and authorizing employees to operate equipment or vehicles.


Frequently Asked Questions

Can the full forklift or aerial-lift operator course be completed online?

No. TBT conducts the full programs onsite because practical training and an operating evaluation are required. The live online forklift course covers only the formal/classroom portion.

Does Tampa Bay Training provide CDL instruction?

No. TBT provides defensive-driving, driver-awareness and supervisor-training programs but does not teach CDL driving skills or issue a CDL.

Are the courses available for public enrollment?

Public classes may be advertised through Eventbrite. The live online forklift-awareness course is specifically available for public enrollment. Private onsite programs are scheduled through Cindy.

Does a certificate automatically authorize an employee to operate equipment?

No. The employer controls work assignments and authorization. Equipment type, workplace conditions, employee performance and employer policy must all be considered.

Can a private class have fewer than seven participants?

Yes, subject to scheduling availability, but the organization is billed for the seven-participant minimum.


Choose Your Training Path

Attend an Upcoming Class

Review currently advertised classes on Eventbrite.

Train Your Organization

Contact Cindy Torres, Customer Service Manager.

Phone: 813-360-1526
Email: service@tampabaytraining.com

 

 

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