A powered industrial vehicle (PIV) is an informal umbrella term for motorized vehicles used in or around industrial sites, covering forklifts and other powered industrial trucks plus vehicles such as tuggers, carts and utility vehicles.
PIV is not a defined term in OSHA standards. OSHA uses powered industrial truck (PIT), which has a set scope under 29 CFR 1910.178. Some companies and safety programs use PIV to bring every motorized vehicle on site under one set of rules for speed, routes, pedestrian interaction and operator authorization, because vehicles outside the PIT definition can still strike people.
When reading a policy or a product specification, check which vehicles the term includes. Training, certification and inspection duties under 1910.178 apply to the trucks inside its scope, whatever the site calls them; vehicles outside that scope fall under other standards or the employer’s general duty. Detection and telematics systems described as covering PIVs may fit a wider range of vehicles than forklifts alone, which is worth confirming during a pilot. See PIT vs PIV explained.