How to Become a Forklift Driver in Australia
- January 22, 2021
- 0
The increasing demand of an improved lifestyle has made us entirely dependent on several basic commodities, which in turn has had a massive impact on the production and logistics industry. In line with the basic rule of economics, greater the demand, higher the supply requirement, thus leading to massive commercialization of production of FMCGs and an increased requirement of a network of logistics to ensure timely delivery of products countrywide.
The increased dependence on the supply chain industry has created opportunities in huge numbers. With more requirements of transporting goods across the country, the number of warehouses across Australia has increased and that in turn means an ever increasing need for truck drivers, fork lift operators, and warehouse managers.
If you are in Australia and considering becoming a forklift driver visit triwestforklifts.com.au, who can help. Here’s all you need to do in order to bag that well paid job near you.
Check Whether You Are Eligible: The first thing you need to do is to check your eligibility. Australian law requires a minimum age of 18 and a good command over written and spoken English in order to become a forklift driver. In addition to that, you also get 100 points extra if you have an Australian Driver’s License, Passport or any other such similar document.
Get a Training/Certification: Before you can proceed to apply for a forklift driver’s license, it is mandatory that you get proper forklift training/certification from one of Australia’s renowned training institutes. These training courses mainly cover the technical aspects such as forklift operating techniques, safety measures and efficient driving in confined spaces. Most of these courses usually last a couple of weeks.
Skill Assessment: Once you acquire the training, you can now get a skill assessment done by an authorized body. The assessment tests you for both practical skills and theoretical knowledge for forklift operations hence it is necessary that you pay attention during your training. Once the skill assessment is done, you will be awarded with an assessment certificate which certifies your capability of operating forklifts efficiently.
License Application: Once you have met all of the above mentioned criteria, you can now apply for forklift driving license through Australia post. Your skill assessment gives you an interim license and all the necessary paperwork which will help you get the permanent license for forklift operation. However, the license is valid for 5 years and must be renewed before its expiry.
Once you get your forklift driver’s license, you are now eligible to apply for forklift operation jobs. Some of the general duties as a forklift operator include inventory management at warehouses, receiving and dispatching stock and in some cases even take care of the packing and invoicing, which is why it is important to also have basic data entry knowledge and command over English language.
It is very important to focus on the safe handling of forklifts as any mishandling can lead to serious accidents at warehouses.