LP Training

What "LP Training" Actually Covers

When people search for LP training, they usually want to know one thing: what do I have to learn, and where do I learn it? For Lift Planner Certification, the answer centers on a workshop run by the Crane Institute of America, which also requires a written examination for certification. The training is not a general crane-operator course. It is a planning-focused program for the person who decides how a mobile-crane lift will be done before anyone starts the engine.

That distinction shapes everything about how you prepare. An operator trains to run the machine. A rigger trains to attach and control the load. A lift planner trains to make the decisions that connect them: which crane, in which configuration, set where, on what support, run by whom, rigged how, and documented in what kind of plan. If you want the bigger picture of the credential first, our overview of what LP certification is is a good starting point, and the LP requirements guide covers who is eligible to attend.

The Eight Workshop Topics Mapped

The issuer publishes eight preparation topics for the Lift Planner Workshop. They are course topics rather than a separately published, weighted exam blueprint, which means you should not assume some are "minor." Here is the full set, in the order a real planning job tends to unfold:

1. Selecting the right type and capacity crane
2. Choosing the correct crane configuration
3. Crane setup and location
4. Identifying and eliminating site-specific hazards
5. Determining the correct size matting or blocking
6. Determining operator and rigging crew qualifications
7. Load chart and rigging exercises
8. Developing standard and critical lift plans

Notice the logic of the sequence. It moves from equipment choice, to physical placement, to ground support, to people, to calculation, and finally to the written plan that captures all of it. For a deeper breakdown of each area, see our complete guide to all 8 LP content areas.

Crane Selection and Configuration

The first two topics, selecting the right type and capacity crane and choosing the correct crane configuration, are where planning begins. They sound simple, but they hide a lot of decision-making.

These two topics feed directly into the load chart work that comes later. A common planning error is reading the right chart for the wrong configuration, so treat configuration and chart interpretation as a connected skill. When you are ready to test that connection, the LP practice test lets you work through scenario-style questions that mirror this kind of reasoning.

Setup, Location, Hazards, and Matting

Three of the eight topics deal with the physical reality of the lift site. This is where many otherwise strong candidates discover gaps, because it requires thinking about the ground, the surroundings, and what could go wrong, not just the machine.

Crane Setup and Location

Placement is a planning decision with consequences. Where the crane sits determines working radius, which in turn drives capacity. It also determines how much room the crew has, where the load will swing, and how the crane is accessed and assembled. Expect to reason about positioning the crane so the pick, the set, and the travel path all work from the chosen location.

Identifying and Eliminating Site-Specific Hazards

This topic rewards a habit of mind more than a memorized list. A lift planner walks the site mentally, and sometimes physically, looking for things that change the plan: overhead obstructions, nearby structures, other work in progress, ground conditions, public exposure, and anything that limits swing or travel. The word "eliminating" matters. The goal is not merely to notice a hazard but to adjust the plan so the hazard is removed or controlled.

Determining the Correct Size Matting or Blocking

A crane is only as stable as what it sits on. This topic is about ground bearing: understanding that the load a crane imposes is concentrated at its supports and that the ground must be able to carry it. Matting or blocking spreads that load. Candidates should understand the purpose of supporting materials, why undersized support is a real failure mode, and how to reason about whether support is adequate for the pressures involved.

This is one of the more calculation-adjacent topics, and it pairs naturally with the load chart exercises. If you struggle with math-heavy material, our LP exam difficulty guide discusses where candidates tend to find the content demanding.

Crew Qualifications and Rigging Exercises

Determining Operator and Rigging Crew Qualifications

A lift plan assigns people as well as equipment. This topic asks whether the planner can identify what qualifications operators and rigging crew members need for a given lift, and recognize when a task calls for more than baseline competence. The planner is not the one doing the rigging or operating, but is accountable for putting qualified people on the job.

Load Chart and Rigging Exercises

This is the hands-on core of the workshop. The issuer names it explicitly as an exercise topic, so expect to work problems rather than just recall definitions. Practical skills include:

• Reading a load chart correctly for a specific configuration and radius
• Determining the weight actually being lifted, including rigging and hook components, not only the load itself
• Evaluating rigging arrangements and how angles and configurations affect forces
• Confirming that the selected crane, configuration, and rigging all work together for the same lift

Standard and Critical Lift Plans

The final topic, developing standard and critical lift plans, is the capstone. It is where every earlier decision becomes a documented plan. The key conceptual skill is distinguishing between lifts that can follow a standard plan and those that demand a critical lift plan because of their risk, complexity, or consequences.

Rather than memorizing a single threshold, understand the reasoning. A routine lift with well-understood parameters can follow a standard approach. A lift with elevated risk factors calls for a more rigorous, more thoroughly documented critical plan. A good planner can articulate why a lift falls into one category or the other and can assemble the plan elements, drawing on crane selection, configuration, setup, hazards, support, crew, and calculations.

Because this topic synthesizes the others, it is a good one to revisit last and revisit often. Our LP study guide walks through how to tie the topics together before test day.

Who Should Train and What to Bring

Lift planning is relevant to people who decide how crane work gets done: supervisors, project and site personnel, rigging and lifting professionals, safety staff, and anyone responsible for approving or developing lift plans. Roles that touch crane operations are the natural audience. If you are weighing career impact, the LP jobs overview and the ROI analysis cover where the credential fits.

Before attending, the most useful preparation is background fluency in the vocabulary of mobile cranes and rigging. You do not need to arrive as an expert planner, since the workshop exists to teach planning, but arriving unfamiliar with load charts, basic rigging, and standard crane terminology will make the exercises harder than they need to be. Eligibility details and any other prerequisites are covered in our requirements guide, and you should confirm current specifics directly with the issuer.

Logistics You Should Verify

Several practical details were not verified for this article, and you should not rely on anyone, including us, to state them without a source. Confirm the following directly with the Crane Institute of America:

• The number of questions on the written examination
• The exam's time limit
• The passing score and any published pass rate
• Current workshop fees, scheduling, and location options

For what we do and do not know about scoring, see the LP passing score guide, and for pricing context, the cost breakdown.

Sequencing Your Preparation

Because the eight topics build on one another, the order you study them matters more than the total hours. A sensible sequence follows the logic of a real plan and front-loads the calculation-heavy material, which tends to take longest to absorb.

The reasoning is simple: load charts and rigging are the most exercise-driven topics, so they get early, repeated attention. The lift plan topic goes last because it depends on everything else. Use the LP cheat sheet for a final consolidated review.

Evaluating Training Options

The issuer's own Lift Planner Workshop is the authoritative training source, and its official page is the place to confirm current offerings. If you are comparing it against other preparation, whether that means supplemental courses, internal company training, or self-study materials, evaluate each against the eight published topics. Good preparation should demonstrably cover all of them, including the exercise-based load chart and rigging work.

The strongest approach combines the workshop with deliberate practice. Working through scenario questions on the LP Exam Prep practice site helps you check whether you can apply the material rather than merely recognize it.

Frequently Asked Questions