History of the StaplerCup
How it all Began
This is where Forkliftheroes are born
For over two decades, the StaplerCup has been much more than just a competition: it is the ultimate stage for international forklift sports. This is where true Forkliftheroes are born. What began as a visionary idea at the Hannover Exhibition Center has evolved into the official world championship, where the world’s best athletes are crowned year after year.
StaplerCup Makes History
2005 marked the kickoff: At the Hanover Exhibition Center, 1,200 enthusiastic spectators celebrated the premiere of the first StaplerCup. It quickly became clear that this event needed to continue. The very next year, the event moved to Aschaffenburg’s Schlossplatz, which remained the heart of forklift racing until 2019. The fascination grew rapidly: what started with 6,500 fans soon grew to 12,000 people cheering on our #Forkliftheroes live. The competition also gained global significance—in 2014, participants from 18 different nations competed against each other for the first time at the International Championship.
The Road to the World Championship: Another milestone came in 2015 with the first championship exclusively for female drivers, after all genders had previously competed in the same field. The year 2019 marked a preliminary high point: Nearly 15,000 visitors created a unique atmosphere across four different disciplines, while the StaplerCup raffle raised a record donation of 19,000 euros. Since 2021, the event has found a new, state-of-the-art home at the LINDE MH ARENA in Aschaffenburg, which combines challenging course action with great entertainment.
The global stage: In 2024, the competition reaches its pinnacle and becomes the official Forklift World Championship. Since then, women, men, and national teams have been competing for genuine world championship titles. By its 20th anniversary in 2025, the StaplerCup finally enters a whole new dimension: The event achieves massive reach and now captivates a huge fan community around the world.
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2025: 20 years of the StaplerCup – an anniversary of records
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2024: The German Championship becomes the World Championship
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2021: We're new
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2019: 15 years of the StaplerCup
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2017: Record number of participants in the Corporate Team Championship
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2015: First-Ever German Championship for female forklift drivers
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2014: First World Championship featuring 18 nations
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2013: First title defense and the PromiCup
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2012: Record number of registrations
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2011: National record at the International Championship
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2010: Striezel's debut on heavy equipment
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2009: Five years of the StaplerCup
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2008: First International Championship
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2007: Attendance doubles
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2006: A new home on Schlossplatz in Aschaffenburg
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2005: The Beginning of the StaplerCup
2025: 20 years of the StaplerCup – an anniversary of records
In 2025, the StaplerCup celebrates its 20th anniversary, setting the gold standard in forklift driving. The grand anniversary finale at the LINDE MH ARENA in Aschaffenburg thrills more than 50,000 fans in person and via livestream—an impressive new attendance record. Over 130 Forklift Heroes take on spectacular new challenges, including—for the very first time in the competition’s history—the active integration of an automated guided vehicle into a course. In the end, three new Forklift World Champions and a new Corporate Cup winner are crowned in front of a packed house, impressively underscoring the global fascination with this unique event.
2024: The German Championship becomes the World Championship
With its evolution into the “Forklift World Championship,” the StaplerCup becomes the official world championship in forklift driving and, as such, the premier forklift sports event worldwide. The previous “German Forklift Driving Championships” will be replaced by the Forklift World Championship. Starting this year, world championship titles will be awarded in the Men’s Forklift World Championship, Women’s Forklift World Championship, and Team Forklift World Championship disciplines.
2021: We're new
A new venue, a fresh concept, and a completely redesigned course where forklift operators can compete head-to-head—or rather, chassis-to-chassis—for the first time: These are the new features of the 16th StaplerCup, which, after a one-year hiatus, is kicking off at the LINDE MH ARENA in Aschaffenburg with even more sportsmanship, excitement, and enthusiasm.
2019: 15 years of the StaplerCup
For the second time in the history of the StaplerCup, the world champions in forklift driving were crowned. The organizers set records for both attendance (over 15,000!) and charity proceeds: 19,000 euros in donations were raised through the raffle organized by StaplerCup hilft e.V.
2017: Record number of participants in the Corporate Team Championship
Record number of participants at the Corporate Team Championship: 16 teams, including four from abroad, competed against each other. For the first time, two women also received the winners’ applause on the podium.
2015: First-Ever German Championship for female forklift drivers
Women, too, achieve spectacular feats on forklifts. The StaplerCup honors this with the first German Championship for female forklift drivers—a contest exclusively for women, who can still compete in the German Forklift Driving Championship as well. To this day, the discipline—now renamed the “German Forklift Driving Championship, Women’s Singles”—remains popular with both participants and spectators alike.
2014: First World Championship featuring 18 nations
Happy 10th anniversary to the StaplerCup! As a gift, the event celebrated the debut of both an individual and a team world championship, featuring drivers from 18 countries. Among them were professional forklift drivers from the U.S., Russia, and China.
2013: First title defense and the PromiCup
The first-ever German forklift driving champion has once again secured first place on the podium. This marks the first time this title has been successfully defended! At the PromiCup, “Wissen macht Ah!” host Shary Reeves—an ambassador for the German Children’s Cancer Aid—and Miguel Molina competed side by side as a team. The DTM driver had obtained his forklift license specifically for this event.
2012: Record number of registrations
Registration numbers are breaking all previous records: Never before have so many Forkliftheroes qualified for the finals.
2011: National record at the International Championship
New record: At the seventh International Championship, 15 nations competed in the stacking contest for the first time. Germany defended its title with flying colors! As the StaplerCup’s guest of honor, the cult 1980s band “Münchener Freiheit” performed an open-air concert as part of the supporting program.
2010: Striezel's debut on heavy equipment
“How does that work?” – Racing legend Hans-Joachim “Striezel” Stuck drives his first few meters on a forklift. About 10,000 event guests watch him do it.
2009: Five years of the StaplerCup
Five years of titans going head-to-head: The StaplerCup is celebrating its first small anniversary. One of the many highlights: The StaplerCup Foundation’s celebrity patron, handball legend and national team coach Heiner Brand, takes on the challenges of a tricky obstacle course himself at the PromiCup.
2008: First International Championship
For the first time, the International Championship is being added to the StaplerCup. Participants: Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Czech Republic. The result: Germany is crowned the top European forklift nation. Second first: the Corporate Team Championship! Third new development: the founding of the association “StaplerCup hilft e. V.” to support regional social institutions for sick or disadvantaged children and adolescents, as well as elderly people in need. The charity raffle raises 10,000 euros for the Children’s Rheumatism Foundation. Patron of the fourth StaplerCup: Michael Glos, Federal Minister of Economics and Technology from 2005 to 2009.
2007: Attendance doubles
12,000 spectators—a new record—and international participation for the first time! Spain, China, and Germany will compete in the international team competition “Race of the Champions.”
2006: A new home on Schlossplatz in Aschaffenburg
Sixty-four men and one woman are competing for the championship title at the second StaplerCup in front of 6,500 excited spectators—for the first time in the presence of numerous media outlets that are just as eager to cover the event. The spectacle takes place on Schlossplatz in Aschaffenburg, which will serve as the venue from now on through 2019. In addition to the German forklift driving champion, the top female competitor is also making a name for herself.
2005: The Beginning of the StaplerCup
Linde Material Handling is hosting a very special event together with its authorized dealers: Germany’s best forklift drivers are revving up their engines at the Hanover Exhibition Center and competing against one another—the StaplerCup is born and is celebrating its premiere in front of 1,200 spectators. And, of course, the very first German forklift driving champion.
With the Forklift World Championship, we created the world’s premier forklift racing event. For 20 years, passion and hard work have shaped the StaplerCup. Today, we're proud to see millions worldwide cheering as the best Forkliftheroes compete for the title.
Martin Stadtmüller, StaplerCup Sports Director
Hall of Fame
Men's Forklift World Champions
| Year | Name |
| 2025 | Benjamin Danker |
| 2024 | Stefan Jenniges |
*(former German champions in forklift driving)
German Forklift Driving Champions
| Year | Name |
| 2023 | Joshua Glöggler |
| 2022 | Benjamin Danker |
| 2021 | Markus Zenger |
| 2019 | Erwin Brummer |
| 2018 | Thomas Kirsten |
| 2017 | Jörg Klößinger |
| 2016 | Maximilian Üblacker Jr. |
| 2015 | Anton Stuckert |
| 2014 | Rolf Müller |
| 2013 | Stefan Theissen |
| 2012 | Stefan Theissen |
| 2011 | Jörg Klößinger |
| 2010 | Ahmet Tekindag |
| 2009 | Michael Schubert |
| 2008 | Stephan Leifels |
| 2007 | Jürgen Buslei |
| 2006 | Benjamin Empl |
| 2005 | Jens Mühle |
Women's Forklift World Champions
| Year | Name |
| 2025 | Swetlana Lattermann |
| 2024 | Tina Föhre-Scheller |
*(former German champions in forklift driving)
German Women's Forklift Driving Champions
| Year | Name |
| 2023 | Melanie Holl |
| 2022 | Daniela Eilers |
| 2021 | Melanie Holl |
| 2019 | Melanie Holl |
| 2018 | Anna-Lena Wisser |
| 2017 | Steffi Schuster |
| 2016 | Steffi Schuster |
| 2015 | Steffi Schuster |
Team Forklift World Champions
| Year | Name |
| 2025 | Germany |
| 2024 | Belgium |
*(former NationsCup team)
Nations Cup Team
| Year | Name |
| 2022 | Slovakia |
| 2019 | Germany |
| 2018 | Germany |
| 2017 | Italy |
| 2016 | Germany |
| 2015 | Spain |
| 2014 | Germany |
| 2013 | Germany |
| 2012 | Spain |
| 2011 | Germany |
| 2010 | Germany |
| 2009 | Germany |
| 2008 | Germany |
| 2007 | China |
Corporate Cup Champions
| Year | Name |
| 2025 | ZF Friedrichshafen |
| 2024 | Hanseatic Brewery Rostock |
*(former corporate team champion)
Corporate Team Champions
| Year | Name |
| 2023 | Fienhage Poultry Solutions |
| 2022 | TeamLog GmbH Freight Forwarding & Logistics |
| 2021 | TeamLog GmbH Freight Forwarding & Logistics |
| 2019 | SMP Deutschland GmbH |
| 2018 | SMP Deutschland GmbH |
| 2017 | The Lorenz Bahlsen Snack-World GmbH & Co. KG, Germany |
| 2016 | SMP Deutschland GmbH |
| 2015 | Knauf Gips KG |
| 2014 | Knauf Gips KG |
| 2013 | Knauf Gips KG |
| 2012 | Altmühltaler Mineralbrunnen GmbH & Co. KG |
| 2011 | ABB AG |
| 2010 | ABB AG |
| 2009 | ABB AG |
| 2008 | Döhler GmbH |
Nations Cup Singles
| Year | Name |
| 2019 | Thomas Prasil (Slovakia) |
| 2014 | Stefan Theissen (Germany) |