The Basics: Forklift Training & Licencing

Last year, Business Insider Australia reported that the demand for Forklift Drivers was growing at a rate of up to 33% nationwide, largely due to growing domestic and international shopping trends. With this trend in mind, now seems like better a time than any to undergo training for a Forklift Operation and High Risk Work Licence. This article will give you a step-by-step plan on how you can obtain the training and licenses for Forklift Operation.

An advantage of pursuing a career or even simply obtaining a license for Forklift Operation is the diversity of work. Do a quick search on any job seeker website and you will find a field of positions for everything from a Forklift Operator at NIB Stadium to a Unit Supply Worker for the Australian Army Reserve. In most cases your tasks will be fast-paced, high-volume work and with the vast types of forklifts and extensions you’re work environment is always subject to change. If this sounds appealing to you here’s how to get started.

Training and Getting Started

First things first, you will need to enroll for a short course in Forklift Driver Training. When looking for schools of training, it’s essential to make sure that the institution is recognised as a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), this can normally be found on the institute’s website as a five-digit RTO number.  To be eligible for Forklift Operator Certification and High Risk Work License you must have studied at an RTO approved organisation.

Another important factor to understand when applying for your license is the difference between LF (Forklift Truck) and LO (Load-Shifting Order Picker) licenses.

For a basic LF license, operators with this license will be working in shifting loads in a sitting or standing position, normally only up or down. Operators with an LO license will be capable of using an Auto Picker, which as vastly different operation conditions to a standard Lift Truck. In an Auto Picker, the operator is harnessed, working at varying heights and are able to drive turret trucks.

Depending on your required or sought area of work in the industry, you may only need one or you may need both. When training for your certificate, you can save a bit of money if you study both at the same time.

Certification and Courses

Regardless of which license you require, Lift Truck training courses normally run for three-straight days weekly, depending on your institution’s schedule, with the final day being an assessment day to pass the course.

In most cases, for a three-day course that will leave you fully certified and assist you in applying for your High Risk Work License, you’re looking to pay anywhere from $500-$700. Often times, it’s good to check whether the institute allows a free make-up test if you fail your miss your exam, for most organisations, offering a cheaper initial fee can lead to expensive reexaminations costs.

On the other hand, if you are required to obtain a Forklift Licence and your current situation may make it hard for you to attend 3 consecutive days of study, many trainers offer a 1 day induction course which goes over the basics of Forklift Operation.  From there you must complete 40 hour logbook, supervised by a person(s) who currently has a valid Forklift Operator Certification and High Risk Work license. In these circumstances your certification fees may be cheaper (around $400), although you still need to sit a test at your training institution once your logbook is complete, to obtain your license.

Certification and High Risk Work License

Once you’ve passed the Forklift Training test, you’re institute of study can assist you in writing and lodging you application form for a High Risk Work License. Because a Forklift Truck is an industrial machine, all states require any operator to have a valid High Risk Work license and also have undergone training to operate them. From here, you are required to pay a $88.40 licence fee which will take upto 60 days to be sent to your postal address. It’s important to check you are getting a nationally covered licence, that is valid every state. License are valid for 5 years at a time.

From here your options of work are really up to you, whether you work in the expansive retail warehouses sorting shipments or packing cargo onto a C-130J Super Hercules for humanitarian efforts abroad, a certificate and license in Forklift Operation can stand out as a key role in the industry.

For more information on how to apply, renew or add a class to your High Risk Work License, relevant to your state, visit one of the links below.

• Western Australia
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Queensland
• New South Wales
• Victoria