Awesome experience Scott Mckendry made the process so easy. Definitely recommend.

Ashley Filies

23 September 2026

The trainer was professional, patient and explained everything clearly. I gained a lot of confidence and useful practical skills. Highly recommend!

Алексей Косов

18 September 2026

TDT was a great first impression, everyone's amazing and super helpful. Personally i had Scott as my trainer and assessor when completing my Heavy Rigid truck licence. He was absolutely amazing, super friendly and talkative which helped with nerves as well as being super clear and simple with all of his instructions. Which ultimately made it super easy to drive without stressing about anything. Scott is really polite but really straight to the point, which I think is great. Thank you Scott and thank you tdt😃

Lachlan Walsh

17 September 2026

Hi, I’ve done my HC with Ronnie he’s very helpful and polite. I had wonderful experience while training. I haven’t issue with communication with trainer, although I highly recommend to upgrade the all type of licenses. Thanks

Rohit punni

17 September 2026

Had a great experience with TDT Driving School Australia. Ash is an excellent trainer—very supportive, patient, and professional throughout the whole process. He explains everything clearly, builds confidence, and makes sure every step is understood properly. His guidance and positive attitude made the learning experience much easier. A big thank you to Ash for all the support, patience, and encouragement throughout the journey. Really appreciate everything.

Karan Pruthi

17 September 2026

My experience with TDT Training was excellent; I highly recommend my instructor, Ron, for his exceptional support. He provided clear, accessible explanations for all my questions and fostered a supportive environment that significantly boosted my confidence in driving. Looking forward to coming back for my HC licence in the future with Ron.

Elias Kabalan

17 September 2026

I am so grateful to have had Scott who had shown me simple tricks about reverse. You were amazing Scott and of course TDT as a training provider were so so marvellous

kok Ayom

16 September 2026

A huge thank you to David for helping me successfully get my HR licence! I was extremely nervous before my driving test, but David was incredibly patient, supportive and positive throughout the whole training session. He explained everything clearly and gave me plenty of opportunities to practise until I felt comfortable and confident. Thanks to his guidance and encouragement, I became much more confident and relaxed, and the test felt so much easier and more manageable. David is an excellent trainer who genuinely wants his students to succeed. I really appreciate all his patience, encouragement and support. Highly recommend David to anyone looking to get their HR licence. Thank you so much, David!

Jay Liang

15 September 2026

Unparallel Training Memorable Experience with my Interstate HR Training. Vanessa gave great tips, clearing doubts and friendly advise and encouragement. Rohit Kumar gave constructive feedback and encouragement to boost morale. They are playing in rare air!

Harry Singh

14 September 2026

Had the best instructor David Allen, He is very knowledgeable and help me get through the nervous stage of getting into a truck for the first time, His got a lot of experience in helping you learn. I really appreciate the time, effort and patience David put into the day of training.

Ger Vang

14 September 2026

Cheap Forklift Training Risks: Licence, Job, or Life?

Published: September 23, 2026

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A cheap forklift ticket might feel like a win at the time. But cutting corners on forklift training and licensing has landed real businesses with six-figure fines, and in the worst cases, it has cost someone their life.

At a glance

A Victorian company and its director were fined $375,000 combined after an untrained worker was lifted on forklift tines and fell to their death
Other Australian forklift fines in recent years have ranged from $90,000 to $330,000, mostly for licensing and training failures
A forklift licence is called a High Risk Work licence for a reason, the equipment is genuinely dangerous when the person on it has not been properly trained
Employers, not just operators, carry legal liability when training and licensing standards are not met
Checking your training provider's standards before you enrol, or before you put staff through a course, is a small step that avoids a very large risk

A fatal shortcut in Clayton

In a Victorian case, a company director lifted a person at their Clayton facility on a loose pallet sitting on forklift tines. The worker had no forklift licence, and the improvised lift was not secured in any way.

The person fell and died. The Victorian County Court later fined the company $250,000 and fined the director personally $125,000, and refused to reduce the fine despite the director being 82 years old and semi-retired.

What makes the case sting even more is that a safer option was sitting right there. WorkSafe found two scissor lifts in the same factory at the time of the incident, either of which could have done the job safely.

This is not a one-off

Forklift licensing and training failures show up in fines across the country, not just in one state or one industry.

JBS Australia, NSW, 2025. Fined $330,000 after a worker was struck by a forklift in a chilled storage area and suffered severe leg injuries.
Sydney logistics company, NSW. Fined $90,000 after an unlicensed operator caused a collision that seriously injured a colleague.
South Australian processing facility. Fined $180,000 after a worker was struck and pinned by a reversing forklift, with no safe stopping zone and no proper separation between forklifts and pedestrians in place.

Different states, different industries, same root cause. Training and licensing were treated as a formality instead of a genuine safety requirement.

Why forklift licensing is not a box-ticking exercise

A forklift looks simple to operate, and that is exactly what makes it dangerous in the wrong hands. A standard 2 tonne forklift can weigh close to 5 tonnes once fully loaded, and it can cause serious injury or death even at low speed.

That is why forklift operation is classed as High Risk Work under Australian workplace law. Anyone operating one is legally required to hold the correct High Risk Work Licence, known as an LF licence, and that licence has to come from a proper assessment by a Registered Training Organisation.

Skipping proper training does not just risk a fine if something goes wrong. It puts the operator, and everyone working near them, in real physical danger.

What this means for employers

Employers carry the legal responsibility here, not just the operator on the forklift.

You can be fined even if you were not driving. In the Clayton case, it was the director, not the untrained worker, who was personally fined $125,000 on top of the company fine.
A licence check takes minutes, an incident takes years to recover from. Verifying that every forklift operator on your site holds a current, genuine LF licence is a simple step that protects your business and your people.
Site-specific induction still matters, even with a licence. A licence proves someone can operate a forklift safely in general, it does not replace training on your specific site, your specific loads, and your specific hazards.
Cheap or rushed training courses can leave gaps. If an operator's licence came from a rushed assessment, the gaps in their actual skill only show up when something goes wrong, and by then it is too late.

What to check before you enrol staff, or yourself

A few checks before you commit to a forklift training provider can save enormous cost and heartache later.

Ask whether the provider is a properly Registered Training Organisation and ask to see proof. Ask how the practical assessment is run, and be wary of any provider promising a licence in an unusually short time or at an unusually low price.

Once staff are licensed, keep a central register of licence numbers and expiry dates, and make sure every operator gets a proper site induction on top of their licence.

Frequently asked questions

What is an LF licence in Australia?

LF stands for the forklift class of High Risk Work Licence. Anyone operating a forklift in Australia must hold a current LF licence, issued after proper training and assessment through a Registered Training Organisation.

How much can a company be fined for forklift licensing or training failures?

Fines vary by state and severity, but recent Australian cases range from around $90,000 to $375,000, with individual directors and managers also personally liable in some cases.

Do employers get fined if a forklift accident happens, even if they were not driving?

Yes. Employers and company directors can be held personally and financially liable for forklift incidents caused by inadequate training, licensing, or supervision, regardless of who was operating the forklift at the time.

How do I check if a forklift licence or training provider is genuine?

Confirm the provider is a Registered Training Organisation and ask how their practical assessment is run. Be cautious of any provider offering a licence unusually fast or unusually cheap compared to the rest of the market.

Is a cheap forklift course worth the risk?

A rushed or low-cost course can leave real gaps in an operator's actual skill, gaps that often only show up when something goes wrong on site. The cost difference between providers is usually small next to the cost of an incident, a fine, or a licence that does not hold up.

Why this matters at Transport Driver Training

At TDT, we deliver LF forklift training the same way we deliver our heavy vehicle courses, properly assessed, properly documented, and never rushed. You can see what sets our approach apart, and we have also seen firsthand what happens when training gaps go unaddressed, TDT was engaged by a major logistics operator to help resolve exactly this kind of forklift licensing issue, and stepped in to bring their training back up to standard.

If you are responsible for forklift operators on your site, or you are getting your own ticket, it is worth spending a few minutes checking a provider's credentials before you spend a cent on the course.

Chris Davis

Head of Sales & Business Development

Chris writes about trucking, logistics, and transport industry trends.

Cheap Forklift Training Risks: Licence, Job, or Life?

At a glance

A fatal shortcut in Clayton

This is not a one-off

Why forklift licensing is not a box-ticking exercise

What this means for employers

What to check before you enrol staff, or yourself

Frequently asked questions

What is an LF licence in Australia?

How much can a company be fined for forklift licensing or training failures?

Do employers get fined if a forklift accident happens, even if they were not driving?

How do I check if a forklift licence or training provider is genuine?

Is a cheap forklift course worth the risk?

Why this matters at Transport Driver Training

Chris Davis

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