There are seven classes of forklifts, numbered Class I through Class VII. These classifications come from the Industrial Truck Association and are used by OSHA to categorize every type of powered industrial truck by its power source, tire type, and intended operating environment. Whether you’re pursuing operator certification, managing a warehouse, or buying equipment, understanding these classes helps you match the right truck to the job.
Class I: Electric Motor Rider Trucks
Class I forklifts are battery-powered trucks that an operator rides while seated or standing. They include counterbalanced rider types (both sit-down and stand-up models) and three-wheel electric trucks. Some come with cushion tires designed for smooth indoor floors, while others have pneumatic tires that can handle rougher surfaces.
Because they run on electric motors, Class I trucks produce zero exhaust emissions, making them a standard choice for indoor warehouse and manufacturing work. They’re quieter than combustion-engine models and generally require less ventilation in enclosed spaces. Three-wheel versions offer a tighter turning radius, which helps in facilities where space is limited but aisles aren’t narrow enough to require a specialized narrow-aisle truck.
Class II: Electric Motor Narrow Aisle Trucks
Class II trucks are also electric, but they’re specifically designed to operate in tight spaces. This class covers a wide range of equipment: reach trucks with outrigger arms, order pickers that lift the operator up to shelf height, turret trucks that rotate their forks without turning the whole vehicle, side loaders, and high-lift straddle trucks. Low-lift pallet and platform trucks built for narrow aisles also fall here.
These machines are the backbone of high-density warehousing and distribution centers. If your facility uses racking systems with aisles under 8 or 9 feet wide, Class II equipment is typically what fills that role. Order pickers are especially common in e-commerce fulfillment, where workers need to grab individual items from shelves at various heights.
Class III: Electric Motor Hand Trucks
Class III covers electric-powered trucks that an operator walks behind or occasionally rides on at low speeds. The most familiar example is the walkie pallet jack, the low-profile truck you’ve probably seen on loading docks and retail store floors. This class also includes low-lift platform trucks, walkie stackers, high-lift counterbalanced handtrucks, and small electric tractors.
These are the lightest-duty powered trucks in the classification system. They’re used for shorter transport distances, loading and unloading trailers, and moving pallets around facilities where a full rider forklift would be overkill or wouldn’t fit. Despite being smaller, they still fall under the same OSHA training and certification requirements as every other class.
Class IV: Internal Combustion, Cushion Tires
Class IV forklifts run on internal combustion engines, powered by gasoline, diesel, LP gas, or compressed natural gas, and ride on solid cushion tires. The cushion tires are made of solid rubber pressed directly onto the wheel, giving them a lower profile and better maneuverability on smooth, hard surfaces like concrete warehouse floors.
These trucks are counterbalanced, meaning a heavy weight in the rear of the frame offsets the load on the forks. They’re a common pick for indoor facilities with smooth flooring that also need the sustained power and faster refueling that combustion engines provide over batteries. The tradeoff is exhaust: facilities using Class IV trucks indoors need adequate ventilation, and many opt for LP gas engines, which burn cleaner than gasoline or diesel.
Class V: Internal Combustion, Pneumatic Tires
Class V trucks use the same combustion engine options as Class IV but come equipped with pneumatic tires, either air-filled or solid pneumatic. Pneumatic tires have deeper tread and better shock absorption, which lets these trucks handle uneven surfaces like gravel yards, cracked asphalt, and outdoor loading areas.
If you need a forklift that regularly moves between indoor warehouse space and outdoor storage yards or loading docks, Class V is the versatile option. They’re also common at lumber yards, building supply stores, and any facility where the ground surface isn’t perfectly smooth. The pneumatic tires do make them slightly less maneuverable on polished indoor floors compared to a cushion-tire Class IV truck.
Class VI: Electric and IC Engine Tractors
Class VI is the outlier in the forklift classification system. These aren’t forklifts at all in the traditional sense. They’re sit-down rider tractors, powered by either electric motors or combustion engines, with a draw bar pull rating over 999 pounds. Their job is towing, not lifting.
You’ll find Class VI tractors in airports pulling baggage carts, in large manufacturing plants hauling material trailers between buildings, and in distribution centers moving strings of carts across long distances. They’re included in the powered industrial truck classification because they share the same workplace hazards and fall under the same OSHA training standard.
Class VII: Rough Terrain Forklifts
Class VII forklifts are built for outdoor use on unimproved natural terrain and construction sites. They come in three main configurations. Vertical mast types look like rugged versions of a standard forklift, with heavy-duty frames, large pneumatic tires, and high ground clearance. Variable reach types (commonly called telehandlers) have a telescoping boom that can extend loads forward and upward, giving the operator flexibility to place materials at different heights and distances. Truck-mounted types are portable forklifts attached to the back of a truck or trailer, designed to be driven to a job site and used to unload heavy items on arrival.
Construction sites are the primary home for Class VII equipment. The telehandler variant is especially popular because it can reach over obstacles, place roof trusses, and deliver pallets of materials to upper floors of a building under construction. These trucks are typically diesel-powered and built to handle mud, gravel, and slopes that would be impossible for any other forklift class.
How the Classes Break Down by Power and Environment
The seven classes split neatly along two lines: power source and where the truck operates. Classes I, II, and III are all electric. Classes IV and V are internal combustion. Class VI can be either. Class VII is almost always combustion-powered for the torque needed on rough ground.
For indoor-only work, Classes I through IV are the main options, with electric models (I, II, III) preferred in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces. For mixed indoor-outdoor use, Class V is the go-to. For outdoor-only or construction environments, Class VII is purpose-built. Class VI stands alone as the towing category.
Training Requirements Across Classes
OSHA requires employers to train and certify every forklift operator, regardless of which class they’ll be using. Training must include formal instruction (classroom, video, or computer-based learning), hands-on practice, and a performance evaluation in the actual workplace. Employers must keep a certification record that includes the operator’s name, the dates of training and evaluation, and the name of the trainer.
Here’s the detail that catches many operators off guard: if you’re certified on one type of forklift and your employer assigns you to a different type, you need refresher training before operating the new equipment. Moving from a Class I sit-down counterbalanced truck to a Class II order picker, for example, means going through additional training specific to that machine’s controls, stability characteristics, and operating limitations. Certification on one class does not automatically cover another.
The training must cover truck-specific topics including the controls and instruments, steering and maneuvering, load capacity, vehicle stability, visibility restrictions, attachment use, and refueling or battery charging procedures. Employers are responsible for making sure the training matches the specific trucks and hazards present in their workplace.