Certified Forklift Technician (CFT) by MSSC and MHEDA
Forklifts are among the most widely used and most frequently serviced pieces of equipment in warehousing, distribution, manufacturing, and construction. The technicians who maintain, service, and repair them are in consistent demand across every sector that relies on material handling equipment, and the path into that career is one of the most accessible and financially rewarding in the technical trades. What has been missing is a nationally portable, industry-recognized credential that documents forklift technician competency in a way that employers across the material handling industry can rely on.
The Certified Forklift Technician certification fills that gap. Developed through a joint partnership between the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council and the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association, the CFT is a nationally portable, industry-led, hands-on training and assessment certification program that certifies individuals who demonstrate core competencies in forklift maintenance, service, and repair. It gives technical and community college students a documented credential that opens career pathways in the material handling industry, and helps entry-level forklift technicians demonstrate and enhance their performance in their current roles.
Klein Educational supports CFT certification programs at community colleges, technical programs, and workforce development centers across California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, and Alaska. We help programs connect with the MSSC certification pathway and access the resources needed to deliver CFT training and assessment.
About MSSC and MHEDA
The Manufacturing Skill Standards Council is a 501(c)3 non-profit and the nation's leading industry-led training, assessment, and certification system for front-line production and supply chain logistics technicians. MSSC is the only ISO Standard 17024 certified program covering entry-level to basic front-line supervisor skills, and is nationally recognized and federally endorsed by the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education, Commerce, Justice, and Veterans Affairs.
The Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association is the premier trade association for the material handling business community, providing business resources and industry leadership for material handling companies and their employees for more than 60 years. MHEDA's partnership in developing the CFT ensures that the certification reflects the actual competencies that forklift equipment distributors and service organizations need in their technician workforce.
What the CFT certification covers
The CFT curriculum covers the complete range of forklift systems maintenance and service knowledge that technicians need across the types of lift trucks they will encounter in the material handling industry. Curriculum areas include basic engines and basic safety, basic laws of electricity and the use of meters for testing electrical circuits and components, IC electrical systems, gasoline and LPG fuel systems, basic hydraulics, transmissions, brake systems including oil-cooled wet disc brakes and electrical and mechanical braking systems, cooling systems, batteries, steering systems, front drive axle and differential, masts, and basic attachments for lift trucks.
This comprehensive systems coverage prepares CFT-certified technicians to diagnose and service the full range of internal combustion and electric forklift systems encountered in warehousing, distribution, manufacturing, and construction environments, covering both the mechanical and electrical competencies that modern forklift service requires.
How CFT is delivered
The CFT program is delivered and customized locally through MSSC's network of more than 1,600 training and assessment centers and forklift truck dealers nationally. The program's locally customizable structure allows training centers to align CFT delivery with the specific forklift brands and configurations most common in their regional market, while maintaining the nationally portable certification standard that gives graduates a credential recognized across the industry.
The hands-on training and assessment component of the CFT reflects the practical nature of forklift service work. Students demonstrate competency in actual maintenance and service tasks on real equipment, providing the documented hands-on skills evidence that employers in the material handling industry need when hiring service technicians.
Why CFT matters for students and employers
For students, the CFT provides documented proof of mechanical, analytical, and problem-solving skills in a credential that is recognized by forklift equipment dealers, fleet operators, and material handling service organizations nationwide. The credential supports financial stability with potential for high earnings and advancement in one of the most consistently hiring technical trades, and builds a lifelong career path in an industry where experienced technicians are chronically in short supply.
For employers including forklift dealers, rental companies, fleet operators, and large facilities with internal maintenance departments, CFT-certified technicians bring documented competency that reduces training time, improves maintenance quality, and decreases the costly equipment downtime that results from inadequately trained service personnel. The partnership between MSSC and MHEDA ensures that the CFT standard reflects what material handling employers actually need rather than a generic technical credential that may not map to the specific skills their service operations require.
For programs, the CFT adds a high-value, industry-specific certification pathway to automotive, diesel, or industrial maintenance curricula that opens doors to a specific, well-paying career segment that students might not have otherwise considered. The forklift service career pathway is one of the most accessible and least crowded in the technical trades, with a certification that can be completed in a timeframe appropriate for both secondary and post-secondary program delivery.
How Klein Educational supports your program
Klein Educational works with program directors, department heads, and workforce administrators from the first conversation through program setup and ongoing support. We help programs understand the CFT certification requirements, connect with MSSC authorization resources, and identify the curriculum and equipment needed to deliver CFT training effectively.
We serve programs across California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, and Alaska.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MSSC CFT certification? The Certified Forklift Technician is a nationally portable, industry-led, hands-on training and assessment certification developed by MSSC and MHEDA that certifies individuals who demonstrate core competencies in forklift maintenance, service, and repair. It is designed for technical and community college students and entry-level forklift service technicians.
What topics does the CFT curriculum cover? The CFT covers basic engines, basic safety, basic laws of electricity, IC electrical systems, use of meters for electrical testing, gasoline and LPG fuel systems, basic hydraulics, transmissions, disc and drum brake systems, cooling systems, batteries, steering systems, front drive axle and differential, masts, and basic attachments for lift trucks.
Is the CFT a hands-on certification? Yes. The CFT includes a hands-on training and assessment component that requires students to demonstrate practical maintenance and service competency on actual equipment, providing documented proof of mechanical, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Who developed the CFT program? The CFT was developed as a joint partnership between MSSC and MHEDA, combining MSSC's nationally recognized certification expertise with MHEDA's industry authority in material handling equipment distribution and service.
Is the CFT accredited? Yes. MSSC is the only ISO Standard 17024 certified program covering entry-level to basic front-line supervisor skills in manufacturing and logistics, and the CFT is nationally recognized and federally endorsed.
Can CFT credentials be combined with other certifications? Yes. The CFT is part of MSSC's broader credentials ecosystem and can be coordinated with other industry certifications to build a complete technical credential portfolio for students pursuing material handling and industrial maintenance careers.
What states does Klein Educational serve? We serve California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, and Alaska.
Ready to Add CFT Certification to Your Program?
Whether you are adding a forklift technician pathway to an existing automotive or industrial maintenance program or building a new material handling technology curriculum, our team will help you connect with MSSC and get your CFT program set up correctly.