Forklift Tickets – The ticket to anywhere…

Getting your forklift ticket provides so many options, sure you could be a forklift driver if that is what you want, and obviously most people that have their forklift ticket are taking forklift ticket training for this reason, but then what?

Examining where a forklift ticket can take the holder on the career path is very interesting.  There are numerous careers available to forklift ticket holders and here is just a few career paths some people took after getting their forklift ticket.  Importantly it should be noted that some of these career choices are for experienced drivers and may require additional study.

Forklift Ticket Trainer – yes why not become the issuer of forklift tickets?  As the demand for forklift operators increases so does the need for people to train drivers and issue forklift tickets.  Forklift trainers do require additional training (this can vary from state to state) however usually you will not have not only your forklift ticket, but additional qualifictions such as EWP, Dogging, Rigging, Scaffolding and/or Order Picker, however, this is not a requirement to the position.

Additional study is an advantage such as Certificate III or IV Transport & Logisitics would also be of an advantage.

Forklift Mechanic
Obviously your forklift ticket is mandatory but with a passion for mechanics and a bit of further study, a qualified Forklift Mechanic is a terrific career option.  Paying around $50,000 per year with plenty of jobs available this option becomes quite attractive.  The position involves primarily field service repairs (forklifts can be quite difficult to transport) and normally you will have to end up specialising in a number of differ forklift technologies such as IC (diesel LPG) and IE (battery electric) fork trucks.

You will need god hydraulic skills, good general mechanical skills and good communication skills to enable you to talk directly to clients..  A company vehicle is usually supplied.

Specilised Forklift Driver
There are options to specialise with respect to forklift load capacity, attachments etc – obviously you will need to get training and a ticket to work with forklifts with greater capacities.  LO tickets are usually in much demand and getting this ticket can really set you apart from the average forklift driver.

Getting a forklift ticket can really take you places.  Getting a forklift ticket from a reputable forklift training organization is vital. I have found many successful forklift applicants have acquired their credentials at AIMM Industrial Training.

So you have decided to get your Forklift Ticket - but how do you go about getting your forklift ticket and what is actually involved ?

The good news is that getting your ticket isn’t difficult. And once you have your forklift ticket (also known as a forklift licence) you will be able to operate a forklift that carries 1,000kg up to a forklift that can carry 80,000kg.

The basic steps involved in getting your forklift ticket are outlined below.

Mandatory Forklift Ticket Requirements
There are some mandatory requirements in getting your forklift ticket. This means that you have to meet these requirements in order to get your license.

You must:

• Be 18 years of age. (You can operate a forklift at 17 under a logbook training scheme with supervision of a licenced operator, however to get your own licence you must be 18).
• Provide proof of identity, ideally with a photo.
• Be able to read and understand English.
• Accumulate 40 nominal hours of supervised forklift operation recorded in a log book.
• Live in Australia to be eligible for assessment.

Attend some forklift training with a registered training organisation
The forklift ticket training will included both theory and practical forklift driving components. You can either attend at the training organisation’s facility or alternately if you work with a company that has that capacity and a number of aspiring forklift operators, you may be able to have the forklift training organisation come to your workplace. You will also need to keep a forklift training log book as evidence as you accumulate experience - both at the course and for any on the job training.

Pass the forklift assessment
Once again there is a theory and practical assessment. This will be done by the forklift training organisation. The assessment can be done straight after / on the last day of the course. Alternately you can do the assessment after a period of on the job training supervised by someone at your work who already has a forklift ticket. When your supervisor is happy with your performance and you feel you are ready with the theory simply call the training organisation to arrange an assessment. Both the theory and practical components require 100% to pass.

Here is further information on what is actually on the forklift ticket assessement.

Send away for your forklift ticket
Once you have passed your forklift ticket training and assessment, the training organisation will send you 2 copies of your forklift license assessment summary. Once you have recieved these, go to the post office (in Queensland this is the case) and lodge your forklift licence application with along with one of the copies of the assessment. The other copy of the assessment acts as a temporary forklift ticket until your official licence is mailed out to you.

For those of you who are concerned about attending training and passing assessment, you have little to be worried about. In fact most people who go through a forklift ticket course say it is mostly common sense with a focus on safety. The forklift training will teach you everything you need to know about operating a forklift safely - including keeping yourself, fellow workers, the goods you are carrying and surrounding areas safe.

Australia has a national standard for load shifting equipment covering forklift licences. So, once you get your forklift ticket you will be able to operate a forklift in any state of Australia.

As there is a national standard for load shifiting equipment, who you get your training through must meet these national standards. Some training organisations are better than others and you should choose who you get your forklift ticket through carefully.

If you are considering getting you forklift ticket in Queensland and especially if you are looking to get you forklift tickert in Brisbane - you’ll want to check out AIMM Industrial Training.

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The first kind of ticket is the LF. An LF forklift licence allows you to operate any and every kind of forklift with the exception of an Order Picker / Stock Picker Forklift.

The second type of forklift ticket is the LO. The LO licence this is specifically for the Order Picker / Stock Picker type of forklifts. What makes this type of forklift different is the ability for the driver to be raised with the load.

Australia has a National Standard (the National Load Shifting Standard) for operating forklifts and it covers both classes of liccence. According to the standard the difference between the two forklift tickets is:

Forklift truck - covers the operation of a powered industrial truck equipped with a mast and an elevating load carriage to which is attached a pair of forkarms or other attachment.  This type of forklift is generally referred to as a counter-balance forklift.

Order picking forklift truck - covers the operation of a powered industrial truck of a type where the operator’s control arrangement is incorporated with the load carriage/lifting media, and elevates with it.

As you can see the National Standard’s version is somewhat more specific in their terms, but first explanation is probably easier to remember.

Make sure that when you get your forklift training and assessment done that the training organisation, is registered to perform the training for one … and secondly that the cover the material necessary by and to the National Standard. Choose your registered forklift training orgnisation well.

The upside is that once you do have your forklift ticket you are permitted to operate a forklift anywhere in Australia from Queensland to Western Australia to Tasmania. The National Standard also maintains consistency across all the states for weight restrictions - and once you will be able to carry loads up to 80,000 kilos.

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