ALI Celebrates 10 Years of Lift Inspection Program

Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) marked the 10th anniversary of the ALI Lift Inspector Certification Program with a celebration at the Shelby Heritage Center.

It’s an initiative with a higher calling.

Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) marked the 10th anniversary of the ALI Lift Inspector Certification Program and the formation of its Associate Class with a celebration Oct. 30 at the Shelby Heritage Center in Las Vegas.

Over the last 10 years, ALI Certified Lift Inspectors have conducted more than 1.3 million lift inspections to help keep technicians safe on the job, the company reported.

All vehicle lifts should be inspected at least annually by a qualified lift inspector to ensure they are operating properly and are safe for continued use, as mandated in the ANSI National Standard covering vehicle lift operation, inspection, and maintenance (ANSI/ALI ALOIM, current edition).

ALI developed its Lift Inspector Certification program to provide a resource for standardized lift inspection procedures and to form a team of qualified lift inspectors to perform them. It was the first–and remains the only, according to the group–program to establish lift inspector credentials and to independently test and certify inspectors who are qualified to inspect any type of lift.

There are currently 560 ALI Certified Lift Inspectors, with about as many more candidates making their way through the certification process in support of U.S. and Canadian lift inspection services.

ALI Certified Lift Inspectors are authorized to perform Check360 Certified Lift Inspections, the only lift inspection backed by ALI to meet the national lift safety standard, the organization noted.

With the development of the lift inspector certification program, ALI also expanded its membership beyond lift manufacturers. Any North American organization with at least one ALI Certified Lift Inspector on staff may join ALI as an Associate Class member, giving them access to exclusive industry resources, training materials and discounts.

They also elect an Associate Class representative to the ALI board of directors. ALI currently has more than 300 Associate Class member companies who are represented on the board by Gary Wainwright of Weco Inc.

“I’m proud to have been part of the growth and success of the ALI Lift Inspector Certification Program over the last 10 years,” Wainwright said. “During that time, ALI Certified Lift Inspectors have conducted more than 1.3 million lift inspections and applied nearly 1 million program labels to lifts that passed. It’s a true testament to the inspectors in the field, ALI staff and the integrity of the program. With all of our continued hard work, along with much-needed new inspectors, who knows what the next 10 years will hold in store for us!”

Some 250 ALI Associate Class members, lift inspectors, manufacturing member representatives and other industry professionals attended the anniversary celebration. While checking out the cars on display and mingling, they also interacted with ALI staff to learn more about the Lift Inspector Certification Program.

They were joined by celebrity guests including Courtney Hansen of Ride of Your Life with Courtney Hansen and Javier “Shorty” Ponce of Shorty’s Dream Shop, as well as surprise video appearances from Jay Leno, Richard Petty and his grandson, Trans Am TA2 driver Thad Moffitt.

Others at the event catching attention by attendees included YouTube influencer Robby Layton and NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Champion Steve Johnson.

To learn more about Check360 Certified Lift Inspections, ALI Certified Lift Inspectors or how to get your lift inspected, visit autolift.org/check360-certified-lift-inspection.

By Jef White

Jef White is the executive editor of THE SHOP magazine.