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Start-Manager
Pallet Trucks

Pallet jack access control: walkies start only for trained operators.

An SM301 wired in place of the key keeps a powered pallet jack switched off until an operator enters a code or presents a card, then asks the daily check before the truck will start. It is $865.00CA$1,210.48 a truck, with no monthly fee.

What the guidelines ask for

29 CFR 1910.178

A walkie is small, slow and easy to use, so it is easy to treat it as something anyone can drive. OSHA’s forklift guidelines do not. They cover trucks controlled by a walking operator as well as ridden ones. And OSHA’s woodworking eTool lists what goes wrong with hand and electric jacks: backing into walls, running over feet, and running into other workers at freezer doors.

1910.178(a)(1)

Walkies are covered

The guidelines cover motorized hand trucks powered by an electric motor or an engine. That takes in powered pallet jacks, walkies and walkie/riders. A manual pallet jack has no motor and is outside it.

With Start-Manager

The SM301 goes on powered trucks. It is wired in place of the key, so the truck has no other way to start.

1910.178(l)

Who may drive one

Nobody operates a truck, except while being trained, until they are trained and evaluated on the types of truck they will drive. An operator assigned to a different type of truck gets refresher training.

With Start-Manager

Each operator gets their own code or card. A forklift driver who has not been trained on walkies can be kept off them.

1910.178(q)(7)

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.

With Start-Manager

The SM301 asks the walkie questions on its own screen, and the truck will not start until they are answered.

Read the guidelines themselves at osha.gov, 29 CFR 1910.178 , and OSHA’s classes of trucks , where walkie pallet trucks are Class III. The paragraphs above are summarized from the guidelines as they read on 14 October 2026. Guidelines outside the United States differ.

On the truck

A code or a card to start it. Twelve questions before it moves.

The SM301 is a keypad and card reader with its own screen. The walkie stays off until an operator it knows signs in, and at the start of a shift it asks the inspection questions before the truck will start. Each answer is kept in the web portal with the operator’s name.

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
The standard walkie questions
  1. 01Load wheels and tires: chunking, cracks, flat spots, wear, debris
  2. 02Forks and attachments: bends or cracks
  3. 03Visible damage, broken lights, strobes or back-up alarm
  4. 04Fluid leaks and levels
  5. 05Horn working
  6. 06Brakes working
  7. 07Battery: water level, corrosion, sulfation, leaks
  8. 08Load backrest: bends, cracks, broken welds, missing bolts
  9. 09Hand guard: bends or cracks
  10. 10Capacity plate legible and correct
  11. 11Drive controls working
  12. 12Safe to operate for your shift
Make the check your own

Change any of these questions or add your own in the web portal, for one truck or a whole group, so the check asks what matters on your site.

Each one is answered pass or fail on the unit, in random order.

What it costs for a walkie

Published prices

One SM301 for each truck, bought once. It controls who drives, does the daily check on the truck and keeps a record of it.

Access control, the daily check and records

SM301

$865.00CA$1,210.48

  • A 4-digit code or a 125 kHz card or fob in place of the key

  • The 12 walkie questions, or your own

  • 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

See the SM301
NO monthly fees

To try the SM301 on one walkie, the Introductory Offer is $915.00CA$1,280.45 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

Tell us about the truck

Before you order, send the make, the model and the battery voltage, and we will confirm how the unit is fitted. The SM301 runs on 12 to 48 volts DC and is usually wired into the key switch harness, replacing the key.

Room to mount it

Walkies have less room than a forklift. The SM301 is 4 by 4.25 by 1 inch. Tell us where on the truck you want it and we will say whether the mounting bracket fits.

Wi-Fi

The SM301 uses your own 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi to reach the web portal. It does not have to be connected all the time: it keeps every check until it is back in range.

What it is not

The SM301 decides who can start the truck and records the daily check. It does not limit speed or detect people in the aisle.

Questions about pallet jacks

Do walkie operators need forklift training?

They need training and an evaluation on the trucks they drive. OSHA’s guidelines, 29 CFR 1910.178, cover motorized hand trucks, and their training paragraph, (l), applies to every truck they cover. OSHA lists walkie pallet trucks among the trucks in its Class III. Training on a sit-down forklift does not automatically cover a walkie: the training has to cover the types of truck the operator will be authorized to drive.

What about manual pallet jacks?

OSHA’s forklift guidelines cover trucks powered by an electric motor or an engine, so a manual pallet jack is outside it. There is also nothing on one to lock: access control is for powered trucks.

What happens when a question fails?

On the SM301 you choose. The truck can stay locked until a supervisor releases it, or the failure can simply be recorded. Either way it appears in the web portal with the operator’s name on it.

Can the same system go on our forklifts?

Yes. The SM301 works on forklifts, powered pallet trucks, scissor lifts, utility vehicles, stationary machinery and overhead cranes. Each type has its own question set, and they all report to the same web portal.

How many operators can one truck have?

The SM301 holds up to 1,000 codes and cards combined, and the web portal has no limit on operators. Codes are added and removed in the portal, for one truck or a group.

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.

Is there a monthly fee?

No. smPortal, smConsole and smHealth have no fees with the purchase of an SM301. SM301 report data is kept for 3 months; unlimited storage for the life of the unit is a one-time $125.00CA$174.93. The one thing with a monthly fee is smIntegration, the optional link to your own software, and sales quotes that.

Tell us about your walkies.

Call us 1-800-674-9320, send the make, model and battery voltage, or see the system in an online demo.

Ask About Your Trucks Book an Online Demo