A system for controlling an industrial vehicle comprising: an information linking device that wirelessly communicates with a server over a first wireless communication link (104, 106, 110); a badge communicator that communicates with electronic badges (126, 1902) that are in short range proximity of the industrial vehicle over a second communication link different from the first communication link; an operator badge that is worn by an operator of the industrial vehicle; a controller coupled to memory, wherein the controller executes program code stored in the memory to control the operating state of the industrial vehicle based upon the operator badge by: identifying that the operator possessing the operator badge has approached the industrial vehicle to log onto the industrial vehicle; communicating with the server via the information linking device to authenticate the operator as authorized to operate the industrial vehicle; and pairing the operator badge with the industrial vehicle upon determining that the operator is authorized to operate the industrial vehicle; and characterized in that the controller executes program code stored in the memory to control the operating state of the industrial vehicle based upon the operator badge by: controlling the industrial vehicle based upon a location of the operator badge relative to the industrial vehicle comprising: turning on the industrial vehicle when the badge communicator detects the operator badge on the industrial vehicle; placing the industrial vehicle in a standby mode where the badge communicator detects the operator badge in proximity to the industrial vehicle, but not on the industrial vehicle; and placing the industrial vehicle in a stop mode when the badge communicator no longer detects the operator badge in proximity to the industrial vehicle. an information linking device that wirelessly communicates with a server over a first wireless communication link (104, 106, 110); a badge communicator that communicates with electronic badges (126, 1902) that are in short range proximity of the industrial vehicle over a second communication link different from the first communication link; an operator badge that is worn by an operator of the industrial vehicle; a controller coupled to memory, wherein the controller executes program code stored in the memory to control the operating state of the industrial vehicle based upon the operator badge by: identifying that the operator possessing the operator badge has approached the industrial vehicle to log onto the industrial vehicle; communicating with the server via the information linking device to authenticate the operator as authorized to operate the industrial vehicle; and pairing the operator badge with the industrial vehicle upon determining that the operator is authorized to operate the industrial vehicle; and characterized in that the controller executes program code stored in the memory to control the operating state of the industrial vehicle based upon the operator badge by: controlling the industrial vehicle based upon a location of the operator badge relative to the industrial vehicle comprising: turning on the industrial vehicle when the badge communicator detects the operator badge on the industrial vehicle; placing the industrial vehicle in a standby mode where the badge communicator detects the operator badge in proximity to the industrial vehicle, but not on the industrial vehicle; and placing the industrial vehicle in a stop mode when the badge communicator no longer detects the operator badge in proximity to the industrial vehicle. identifying that the operator possessing the operator badge has approached the industrial vehicle to log onto the industrial vehicle; communicating with the server via the information linking device to authenticate the operator as authorized to operate the industrial vehicle; and pairing the operator badge with the industrial vehicle upon determining that the operator is authorized to operate the industrial vehicle; and characterized in that the controller executes program code stored in the memory to control the operating state of the industrial vehicle based upon the operator badge by: controlling the industrial vehicle based upon a location of the operator badge relative to the industrial vehicle comprising: turning on the industrial vehicle when the badge communicator detects the operator badge on the industrial vehicle; placing the industrial vehicle in a standby mode where the badge communicator detects the operator badge in proximity to the industrial vehicle, but not on the industrial vehicle; and placing the industrial vehicle in a stop mode when the badge communicator no longer detects the operator badge in proximity to the industrial vehicle. turning on the industrial vehicle when the badge communicator detects the operator badge on the industrial vehicle; placing the industrial vehicle in a standby mode where the badge communicator detects the operator badge in proximity to the industrial vehicle, but not on the industrial vehicle; and placing the industrial vehicle in a stop mode when the badge communicator no longer detects the operator badge in proximity to the industrial vehicle.