A method for monitoring a disturbance force in a linear drive system, wherein a disturbance force is a force generated within or external to a linear drive system that causes a mover to slow down or speed up, deviating from a desired speed, the method comprising the steps of: generating a commanded current to be provided to a series of coils spaced along a length of a track in the linear drive system with a controller (120, 125); regulating a desired current provided to each of the series of coils with the controller, wherein the desired current corresponds to the commanded current and establishes an electromagnetic field that interacts with at least one mover in the linear drive system to propel the mover along the track; receiving a feedback signal at the controller, wherein the feedback signal is a measured position, a measured velocity, or both a measured position and a measured velocity of the at least one mover as it is propelled along the track by the desired current; storing the feedback signal and the commanded current at a corresponding sample time of the feedback signal in memory of the controller; and determining a disturbance force experienced by the at least one mover at a plurality of positions along the track, wherein the disturbance force is determined by the controller and is a function of the commanded current and the stored feedback signal, wherein: the controller generates the commanded current to obtain a desired interaction between the at least one mover and the electromagnetic field; and the disturbance force is determined for the at least one mover while the controller is controlling the at least one mover to interact with the electromagnetic field. generating a commanded current to be provided to a series of coils spaced along a length of a track in the linear drive system with a controller (120, 125); regulating a desired current provided to each of the series of coils with the controller, wherein the desired current corresponds to the commanded current and establishes an electromagnetic field that interacts with at least one mover in the linear drive system to propel the mover along the track; receiving a feedback signal at the controller, wherein the feedback signal is a measured position, a measured velocity, or both a measured position and a measured velocity of the at least one mover as it is propelled along the track by the desired current; storing the feedback signal and the commanded current at a corresponding sample time of the feedback signal in memory of the controller; and determining a disturbance force experienced by the at least one mover at a plurality of positions along the track, wherein the disturbance force is determined by the controller and is a function of the commanded current and the stored feedback signal, wherein: the controller generates the commanded current to obtain a desired interaction between the at least one mover and the electromagnetic field; and the disturbance force is determined for the at least one mover while the controller is controlling the at least one mover to interact with the electromagnetic field. the controller generates the commanded current to obtain a desired interaction between the at least one mover and the electromagnetic field; and the disturbance force is determined for the at least one mover while the controller is controlling the at least one mover to interact with the electromagnetic field.