OSHA does not set a single speed limit for forklifts. 29 CFR 1910.178(n)(8) requires that, under all travel conditions, a truck be operated at a speed that lets it be stopped safely, and 1910.178(n)(1) requires operators to observe authorized plant speed limits. Each site therefore sets its own limits, usually lower in pedestrian areas, at intersections, near dock doors and on wet or uneven floors, and higher in truck-only aisles. The right limit depends on the truck type, the load, the floor surface, sight lines and how much foot traffic shares the route.
The full guide is Forklift speed limit, which explains how sites set and post safe speeds. Posted limits only work if they are enforced. Options range from signs and supervisor observation to speed limiters that cap a truck’s top speed, and zone-based systems that slow compatible forklifts automatically in defined areas or when a pedestrian is detected nearby. When setting zone limits, measure stopping distance with a typical load on your own floor rather than relying on a generic figure, and review speeding events in telematics data to find where limits are ignored. A rule that feels arbitrary in an empty aisle tends to get bypassed.