Cold storage forklift access control: the truck starts only for operators trained for the freezer.
A Start-Manager unit wired in place of the key keeps the truck switched off until an operator enters a code or presents a card. The SM101 is $550.00CA$778.47 a truck and the SM301, which adds the daily check, is $865.00CA$1,224.32. For trucks that run in and out of the freezer, the Cold Storage Package is $95.00CA$134.46. No monthly fee.
What the rule asks for
29 CFR 1910.178OSHA’s forklift rule has no separate paragraph for cold storage. The truck, the training and the daily examination are the same as in a dry warehouse. What the cold changes is what operators have to be trained for, and how much rides on a daily check done where nobody else sees it.
Surface conditions
Operator training covers the surface conditions where the truck will be operated. In a cold store that means frost, and ice where water dripping off a truck has frozen on the floor.
Give the codes and cards for freezer trucks only to operators trained for the freezer. Codes are added and removed in the web portal, for one truck or a group.
Hazardous conditions
Training also covers any other unique or potentially hazardous conditions in the workplace that could affect safe operation. Working in and out of a freezer is one.
The web portal holds each operator’s training expiry and sends an email two weeks before it runs out.
The daily examination
Every truck is examined before it is placed in service, at least daily, and after each shift where trucks run around the clock. A truck with a condition that affects its safety does not go into service.
The SM301 asks the questions on its own screen before the truck will start. Inside a freezer, where few people see the truck, that record shows the check was done.
Read the rule itself at osha.gov, 29 CFR 1910.178 . The paragraphs above are summarized from the rule as it read on 16 October 2026. Rules outside the United States differ.
The cold is not the problem. The trip back to the dock is.
A truck that comes out of the freezer onto a warm dock collects condensation on everything cold, the electronics included. Shift after shift, that moisture can corrode a circuit board.
The Cold Storage Package is a protective coating on the unit’s circuit board that helps prevent that corrosion, for $95.00CA$134.46. It does not change the temperature rating. At installation, the unit is also sealed with a bead of silicone around the housing, the backing plate and the mounting bracket, as the installation guide shows.
See the Cold Storage Package- Operating temperature
- -4°F to 113°F (-20°C to +45°C)
- A freezer held at 0°F
- Inside the rating
- A room colder than -4°F
- Outside it: ask us before ordering
- Cold Storage Package
- $95.00CA$134.46 a unit, a coating on the circuit board
- At installation
- Silicone around the housing, backing plate and bracket
The FDA’s guidance for freezers is 0°F (-18°C). The unit should not be exposed directly to rain, snow, direct sun or extreme conditions.
A fob through the gloves. Twelve questions before it moves.
An operator in heavy gloves holds a card or fob to the reader: no keys to press, and no code to type and enter. The truck stays off until the unit knows who it is.
The SM301 then asks the inspection questions on its own screen: the standard set for an electric or engine forklift, a walkie or a utility vehicle, and any of your own. If a question fails, the truck can stay locked until a supervisor releases it, or the failure can simply be recorded: you choose.
See the SM301- 01Fluid leaks: brake fluid, hydraulic oil, transmission fluid
- 02Fluid levels
- 03Lifting device: carriage, channels, chain and pulleys
- 04Tires: chunking, cracks, flat spots, pressure, wear
- 05Visible damage: overhead guard, counterweight, load backrest, lights, back-up alarm, seat
- 06Safety devices: back-up alarm, strobes, warning lights, seat belt, grab bars, steps
- 07Forks and attachments: cracks, bends, wear
- 08Capacity plate legible and correct, including with attachments
- 09Gauges and dashboard warning lights working
- 10Brakes: service brake and parking brake
- 11Battery: water level, corrosion, sulfation, leaks
- 12Safe to operate for your shift
Each one is answered pass or fail on the unit, in random order. The standard set is a sound start; it is better still to adjust it to your own standards for the freezer, in the web portal, for one truck or a group.
Two ways to fit a freezer truck
Published pricesIf you only need to control who drives, the SM101 does that. If you also want the daily check done on the truck and a record of it, that is the SM301. Either takes the Cold Storage Package.
SM101
$550.00CA$778.47A keypad and card reader in place of the key. The truck starts for the codes and cards you add, and for nobody else.
A 4-digit code or a 125 kHz card or fob
250 codes and 100 cards on the unit
No screen, no Wi-Fi, no records
Codes added and removed at the truck
SM301
$865.00CA$1,224.32The same keypad and card reader, with a screen that asks the inspection questions before the truck will start.
The standard questions for the truck, adjusted to your own standards
A lockout after a failed check, until a supervisor releases it
Every check in the web portal with the operator’s name
Training expiry in the portal, with an email two weeks before
Last operator search after an accident
Each unit is bought once, for each truck, with $95.00CA$134.46 more for the Cold Storage Package where it goes into the freezer. To try the SM301 on one truck, the Introductory Offer is $915.00CA$1,295.09 with the mounting bracket, four key fobs and a year of unlimited report storage. See the Introductory Offer.
Pricing is in US dollars.Prices in Canadian dollars are estimates; orders are charged in US dollars. Does not include freight, taxes, duty or installation. Full price includes cost of hardware, licensing fees, full use of US based web portal (smPortal) & tools (smConsole, smHealth, etc.)
What to know before you buy
The coldest room
Tell us the temperature of the coldest room the truck goes into, and how long it stays there. The unit is rated down to -4°F (-20°C). A freezer held at 0°F is inside that. A blast freezer usually is not.
How often it crosses
A truck that runs between the freezer and a warm dock many times a shift is the one condensation works on, and the one the Cold Storage Package is for. A truck that stays at one temperature needs no package.
Wi-Fi in the freezer, for the SM301
The SM301 uses your own 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi to reach the web portal. If the signal does not reach inside the freezer, it keeps every check and sends them when the truck is back in range. The SM101 needs no Wi-Fi.
What it is not
Both units decide who can start the truck, and the SM301 records the daily check. Neither heats the cab, measures the temperature, limits speed or detects people in the aisle.
Questions about cold storage
Does OSHA have a separate rule for forklifts in cold storage?
No. The forklift rule, 29 CFR 1910.178, applies the same in a freezer as in a dry warehouse, and the words cold, freezer and refrigerated do not appear in it. What changes is what the training has to cover: the surface conditions where the truck runs, and any other hazardous conditions that could affect safe operation.
Will the unit work in our freezer?
It is rated from -4°F to 113°F (-20°C to +45°C). The FDA’s guidance for freezers is 0°F, which is inside that. A room kept colder than -4°F, such as a blast freezer, is outside the rating, so tell us the temperature before you order.
Does the Cold Storage Package make the unit work colder?
No. It does not change the temperature rating. When electronics go from very cold to room temperature, condensation forms on them and can corrode the circuit board. The package is a protective coating on the board that helps prevent that corrosion.
Which trucks need the Cold Storage Package?
Trucks that work in and out of cold storage, and units used in high humidity. It is $95.00CA$134.46 for each unit, and is added to the order with the unit; it is not shipped on its own.
Can operators sign in wearing freezer gloves?
Yes, with a card or fob: the operator holds it to the reader, with no keys to press. It is also fewer steps than a code, which has to be followed by Enter. The SM301 and the SM101 both read 125 kHz cards and fobs as well as 4-digit codes, so an operator can use either.
Our trucks are hard to start in the cold. What should we know?
The unit can be wired to power the truck’s own key switch or dashboard, which is the way to fit it where a cold start or glow plugs are needed. For old equipment with weak batteries, the SM-Cap1 super capacitor ($175.00CA$247.70) keeps the unit powered for at least 10 seconds when the battery voltage dips: in a cold start, on a low battery, or when the engine is hard to turn over.
Who installs it?
Start-Manager does not install units. Your own maintenance department or a contractor does it, and we send installation documents after the order and give technical support for the installation. The guide covers sealing the unit with silicone for cold storage.
Is there a monthly fee?
No. smPortal, smConsole and smHealth have no fees with the purchase of an SM301, and the SM101 needs nothing beyond the unit. SM301 report data is kept for 3 months; unlimited storage for the life of the unit is a one-time $125.00CA$176.93. The one thing with a monthly fee is smIntegration, the optional link to your own software, and sales quotes that.
Tell us about your cold store.
Call us 1-800-674-9320, send the trucks and the temperature of your coldest room, or see the system in an online demo.