Great detail and experience very clear with instructions and rules to follow

Brad

2 November 2026

Tdt training is amazing. Friendly staff, Ronnie is an amazing driving in instructor thank you team TDT for making it soo easy.

River Man

2 November 2026

I honestly cannot thank David Allan enough for everything he did for me during my HR licence training. When I first arrived, I was extremely nervous, stressed, and had almost no knowledge or confidence in driving an HR truck. But David completely changed that in just a few hours. The way he teaches is truly exceptional. He is incredibly patient, calm, knowledgeable, and professional. Instead of making me feel nervous about my mistakes, he made me feel comfortable, encouraged me, and explained everything so clearly that even someone starting from zero could understand. What impressed me the most was not just his teaching skills, but the way he treated me with kindness, respect, and genuine care. He believed in me when I was doubting myself, and that meant a lot. David is not just an excellent instructor, but also a wonderful human being. Teachers like him are rare, and I feel genuinely lucky and grateful to have learned from him. I would 100% recommend David Allan to anyone looking to get their HR licence, especially beginners who are nervous or have no previous experience. You will be in the best hands. Thank you so much, David, for your patience, encouragement, and support. I will always remember your guidance and kindness. You have my utmost respect and appreciation! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Charik Khindri

29 October 2026

David Allan is a great teacher mentor who care about students and wellbeing of others people on the road if you are booking for your test make sure they booked you through him very professional teacher

Martin Zigashane

27 October 2026

I had a great experience learning with David Allan for my HR driving licence. David was an excellent instructor who explained everything clearly and made me feel confident and comfortable on the road. He was patient, professional, and supportive throughout the training, making the whole experience smooth and stress-free. I really appreciate his guidance and would highly recommend David to anyone looking to get their HR licence. Thanks, David, for the great training and support! 🚛👏

Brendan Lawler

27 October 2026

A big thank you to Tran at TDT Training for helping me with my HR truck licence. Getting behind the wheel of a heavy rigid truck can be pretty daunting, but Tran’s calm approach, clear explanations and practical advice made a real difference to my confidence. He was patient, approachable and happy to go over things until they clicked, with a strong focus on safe driving and good habits. I really appreciated having someone who could put me at ease while still keeping me focused on what I needed to learn. Highly recommend Tran and TDT Training to anyone looking to get their truck licence. Thanks again, Tran!

Jye Murray

26 October 2026

TDT TRAINING MAKES THE PROCESS COMFORTABLE AND EASY TO UNDERSTAND. YOU WONT FIND A BETTER TRAINER THAN DAVID ALLAN! IF YOU THOUGHT YOU DID, YOU’RE WRONG. GO SEE DAVID ALLAN AND THE GREAT TEAM AT TDT.

Nathan Rogers

20 October 2026

had a great time with this mob highly recommend great experience with great people

Mitchell Kemp

20 October 2026

Thanks David and Vanessa for teaching everything to make a HR licence they are so helpful

navdeep sidhu

19 October 2026

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highly Recommend David at TDT Sunshine! I booked my HR licence test through TDT Sunshine, and I couldn’t be happier with the experience. Before this, I had never driven a truck, so I was quite nervous about the test. However, David guided me through everything in a very professional, patient, and easy-to-understand way. His teaching and guidance gave me the confidence and skills I needed to pass my HR test on the very first attempt. He explained everything clearly, helped me understand the truck properly, and made sure I felt prepared before the test. David is an excellent instructor who genuinely cares about his students’ success. I’m really thankful for his support and the way he taught me throughout the process. If you’re planning to get your HR licence at TDT Sunshine, I highly recommend booking with David. In my opinion, he is one of the best instructors there. If you want professional guidance and the confidence to pass your test, David is the person to go to! Thank you, David, for your excellent teaching and support!

Saffal Singh

15 October 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.