Operating a powered industrial truck such as a forklift presents considerable risk and to be able to operate a forklift in a safe and efficient manner, you must have a forklift licence in Tauranga as this is a legal requirement required by law.
Earning a licence can be a daunting task for anyone who is just new to this industry. That’s why we come up with this article to guide you through.
Please do take note that the licence we referred to is also known as the certificate that you must attain in order to legally operate this equipment.
That’s what we are going to talk about here – getting your certificate and where you can take the training. Likewise, obtaining an F endorsement is a must-have if you intend to drive the truck on a public road as part of your job.
Let’s start by telling you the process you have to take in order to train…
Please read on…
How to Get a Forklift License – Here are the Steps to Take
- Decide which forklift equipment you want to operate because this will dictate what course you need to take – there are several types of forklifts, and you need to identify which one you want to get licence on.
- Decide if you need also an F endorsement on your license – if your work engages you to drive the forklift on the public road, you need an F endorsement reflected on your driver licence. To save time and money, you can take both the operator certificate course and F endorsement training at the same time. See below how to apply for F endorsement.
- Find a training school nearest to you to enroll – the list of schools is below for your reference. You just have to coordinate with them about your requirement so that they can assess thoroughly the training so suit your need.
- Once you’re enrolled, you will take the theory or the classroom part of the course – you will be given lectures on the type of forklift you intended to operate. The topics vary but include workplace safety, operational safety, load handling and transporting, calculation, and other topics that may be deemed necessary.
- Once you finished the classroom training, the next to follow is the hands-on exercises. This where you will be the part where you are going to drive the forklift. You will be supervised by the trainer. You will familiarize yourself with the operation of the equipment.
- Upon completion of the classroom and hands-on exercises, the trainer will be issued certificates to the students in some cases, operator cards as well. The certificate is solid proof that you’ve successfully completed a training course.
How Much Does It Cost to Get a Forklift Licence
The amount you have to spend on getting a forklift licence and taking the training will depend on the goal you want to achieve. Here are the circumstances where you need to complete a course:
- If you need forklift certificate and an F endorsement training – you will spend around $250 to finish these two at the same time.
- If you need a forklift certificate only – please expect to spend around $200 for to complete a course.
- Refresher course and F endorsement training tend to be shorter – please expect to pay around $190 to take both.
- F Endorsement only – the amount you have to spend is $100.
If you notice, the training cost depends on the skill level you have. If you are a total beginner, the course tends to be comprehensive and longer, the more expensive the training will be. While on the other, if you’re experienced and just need a refresher course, the cost is much less expensive.
How to Apply for F Endorsement
To have an F endorsement added to your driver license, first, you need to complete a training course, as we mentioned above. You need to submit your certificate to NZTA to prove that you successfully completed a course. Here are the steps in applying:
- Find a nearest assessor or licensing agent in your location so that you won’t have a hard time applying.
- Complete the form for the application of F endorsement, you can download the form from here.
- Submit your current driver license in addition to other forms of identifications (e.g: passport, travel document, firearm licence, birth certificate, citizenship certificate, Kiwi access card, community service card, SuperGold, and other acceptable IDs).
- Submit your certificate of training course completion which you’ve gotten from an approved training school or provider.
- Submit your eyesight certificate, and shouldn’t be more than 60 days old. If you don’t have this yet, you can coordinate with licensing agent for the eyesight test.
- Submit the required fee, as of this writing, the cost is $44 for the application of F endorsement.
There are two parts you have to undergo when applying for F endorsement – the theory and the practical assessments. To complete these, coordinate with an approved training provider or licensing agent. They will guide you on everything you need to know on how to submit application to NZTA.
The common mistakes of others is that they operate the forklift on pubic road while their F endorsement application is being processed. Please take note that you have to wait until you receive your driver licence with F endorsement reflected on it before you drive a forklift.
Forklift Training in Schools in Tauranga
If you’re planning to take the training course and you’re looking for an approved training provider, here are what you can find in Tauranga.
- AB Equipment
14 Macrae Ave, Mount Maunganui, Tauranga 3116, New Zealand
PH: 07 572 9002 - Vertical Horizonz
Unit 1, 282 Chadwick Road, Gate Pa, Tauranga, 3112
Phone: 0800 72 33 848, (64) 7 579 5969 - Alltranz Training
36A Maleme St., Tauranga
Mobile: 027 5058181 - Let’s Learn
83 Pillans Rd, Otumoetai, Tauranga 3110
Call: (07) 544-9557 or (07) 576-0941 - Driver Training NZ Ltd
70 Courtney Road, Gate Pa, Tauranga 3112
Phone: 07 5712299, Freephone: 0800 571 2299 - Crown Lift Trucks
28D Jean Batten Drive, Mt Maunganui, Tauranga, 3116
Fax: (07) 575-9085 - Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology
70 Windermere Drive, Poike, Tauranga
Private Bag 12001, Tauranga 3143, New Zealand
07 571 0190, 0800 86 46 46 - Driver Training NZ Limited
70 Courtney Rd, Gate Pa, Tauranga
Truck Driver Licensing Limited
19 Glasgow Street, Tauranga
T: 027 295 9631, Freecall: 0800 571 2299 - Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
3rd Floor, Harrington House
32 Harington Street, Tauranga
PO Box 13055, Tauranga Central, Tauranga 3141
Telephone: +64 7 927 6009, Fax: +64 7 578 2909 - Forklift Industrial Training
Offers training in Tauranga and other nearby areas
Phone: 027 271 2295; 027 318 4177 - Truck Driver Licensing Ltd
70 Courtney Road, Parkvale, Tauranga 3112
PO Box 9011, Greerton, Tauranga, 3142
Phone:0800 571 2299
Here are some tips in selecting a training provider/school:
- Find a training provider that can assist you in the application F endorsement. This school usually conducts F endorsement and operator training at the same time.
- Find a class with a small number of students so that each student will have ample time doing the hands-on exercises giving him the opportunity to learn well.
- Choose an instructor with extensive experience providing such training. You can ask the provider what’s their instructor’s background before you make a decision of enrolling with them.
- Choose a training provider with the modern type of equipment so that you can train on the latest type of machine.
- If you’re an employer, choose a training provider that can conduct the training at your own facility so that curriculum can be altered to address issues on the workplace.
What are the Requirements You Need to be a Forklift Operator
Learning what are the requirements you need to be a forklift operator in Tauranga will not only save you time but also resources. Here are what you need to be/have:
- Since the nature of the job is physically demanding, one must be in good physical and health condition, have good hand-eye coordination and eyesight.
- Forklift operators must be at the right age to get accepted for the job. Operators must be at the age of 18.
- Aspiring individuals must have passed a WorkSafe approved training course – it only takes a day or two to finish this program.
- Just like we discussed, operators must have an F endorsement on their driver licence in order to operate the equipment on the public road.
- A considerable amount of experience will certainly help in landing a job and being good at it.
