diff --git a/skyrl-train/skyrl_train/tinker/backends/skyrl_train.py b/skyrl-train/skyrl_train/tinker/backends/skyrl_train.py
index 3b32eeaf9..c99a4339d 100644
--- a/skyrl-train/skyrl_train/tinker/backends/skyrl_train.py
+++ b/skyrl-train/skyrl_train/tinker/backends/skyrl_train.py
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@
 
 print("[DEBUG] skyrl_train.py: Starting imports...", flush=True)
 
+import os
+import tarfile
+import tempfile
 from typing import Any
 
 import torch
@@ -246,10 +249,75 @@ def sample(
         raise NotImplementedError("Sampling not supported")
 
     def save_checkpoint(self, output_path, model_id: str) -> None:
-        raise NotImplementedError("Saving checkpoints not supported")
+        """Save full training checkpoint (model + optimizer + scheduler) as tar.gz."""
+        if model_id != self._model_id:
+            raise ValueError(f"Model {model_id} not found")
+        if self._dispatch is None:
+            raise RuntimeError("Model not initialized")
+
+        # Create temp directory for checkpoint
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temp_dir:
+            ckpt_dir = os.path.join(temp_dir, "checkpoint")
+
+            # Save checkpoint directory (includes optimizer state automatically)
+            self._dispatch.save_checkpoint(
+                model="policy",
+                ckpt_dir=ckpt_dir,
+                tokenizer=self._tokenizer
+            )
+
+            # Create tar archive (uncompressed for speed)
+            # FSDP checkpoints are already large (6-7GB). Gzip compression adds
+            # 5-10 minutes of single-threaded CPU time that blocks training.
+            with tarfile.open(output_path, "w") as tar:
+                tar.add(ckpt_dir, arcname=".")
+
+        logger.info(f"Saved checkpoint for {model_id} to {output_path}")
 
     def load_checkpoint(self, checkpoint_path, model_id: str) -> None:
-        raise NotImplementedError("Loading checkpoints not supported")
+        """Load full training checkpoint (model + optimizer + scheduler) from tar.gz."""
+        if model_id != self._model_id:
+            raise ValueError(f"Model {model_id} not found")
+        if self._dispatch is None:
+            raise RuntimeError("Model not initialized")
+        if not os.path.exists(checkpoint_path):
+            raise FileNotFoundError(f"Checkpoint not found: {checkpoint_path}")
+
+        # Extract tar to temp directory (auto-detects compression)
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temp_dir:
+            with tarfile.open(checkpoint_path, "r") as tar:
+                tar.extractall(temp_dir)
+
+            # Load checkpoint (includes optimizer and scheduler states)
+            self._dispatch.load_checkpoint(
+                model="policy",
+                ckpt_dir=temp_dir,
+                load_optimizer_states=True,
+                load_lr_scheduler_states=True
+            )
+
+        logger.info(f"Loaded checkpoint for {model_id} from {checkpoint_path}")
 
     def save_sampler_checkpoint(self, output_path, model_id: str) -> None:
-        raise NotImplementedError("Sampler checkpoints not supported")
+        """Save sampler checkpoint as tar.gz (model only, no optimizer)."""
+        if model_id != self._model_id:
+            raise ValueError(f"Model {model_id} not found")
+        if self._dispatch is None:
+            raise RuntimeError("Model not initialized")
+
+        # Create temp directory for HuggingFace export
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temp_dir:
+            hf_dir = os.path.join(temp_dir, "model")
+
+            # Save in HuggingFace format (model weights + tokenizer only)
+            self._dispatch.save_hf_model(
+                model="policy",
+                hf_model_dir=hf_dir,
+                tokenizer=self._tokenizer
+            )
+
+            # Create tar archive (uncompressed for speed)
+            with tarfile.open(output_path, "w") as tar:
+                tar.add(hf_dir, arcname=".")
+
+        logger.info(f"Saved sampler checkpoint for {model_id} to {output_path}")