A forklift is a powered truck with two forks at the front that lifts, stacks and moves loads, usually on pallets, over short distances. It's also called a lift truck or fork truck: the names mean the same machine. In Australia, driving a forklift truck needs a High Risk Work Licence, class LF, while walk-behind stackers and pallet jacks don't.
How does a forklift work?
A forklift works like a see-saw. The front wheels act as the pivot, the load on the forks sits in front of them, and the counterweight at the rear balances it. As long as the combined centre of gravity of the truck and load stays inside the truck's stability triangle, the forklift stays upright.
The lifting is hydraulic. A pump driven by the engine or electric motor pushes oil into the lift cylinders, which raise the inner sections of the mast. Chains over pulleys then lift the carriage and forks further and faster than the cylinders could alone. Tilt cylinders lean the mast forward to pick up and place a load, and back to hold it securely while travelling. Most counterbalance forklifts steer with the rear wheels, which lets them turn tightly in aisles and around docks.
That stability triangle explains the two ways a forklift tips over. It tips forward when the load is too heavy or too far out on the forks. It tips sideways when it turns too fast, turns with the load raised or travels across a slope.
Main parts of a forklift
A forklift is built around the mast at the front and the counterweight at the back. The table explains the main parts.
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Mast | The upright rails that raise and lower the load. Duplex and triplex masts have two or three stages for higher lifts |
| Carriage | The plate that runs up and down the mast and carries the forks or an attachment |
| Forks | The two steel tines that slide under the pallet or load |
| Load backrest | A frame above the carriage that stops the load falling back towards the operator |
| Overhead guard | The roof frame that protects the operator from falling objects |
| Counterweight | The heavy rear section that balances the load on the forks |
| Power unit | An LPG or diesel engine, or an electric motor with a lead-acid or lithium-ion battery |
| Tyres | Solid or cushion tyres for smooth floors, pneumatic tyres for yards and rough ground |
| Operator restraint | The seat belt or other restraint that keeps the operator inside the guard if the truck tips |
Every forklift also carries a data plate, or load chart, that states its rated capacity at a set load centre and lift height. That plate, not the brochure, decides what the truck can safely lift.
Types of forklifts
Forklifts are built in several types for different floors, heights and aisle widths, and the type also decides the licence the operator needs. DJJ Equipment sells each of these types in the Hangcha range, from 0.6 t to 48 t.
| Type | Built for | Licence in Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Counterbalance forklift | The standard sit-down truck for warehouses, docks and yards, in electric, LPG or diesel | HRWL class LF |
| Reach truck | Narrow aisles and high racking indoors, with a mast or forks that reach forward | HRWL class LF |
| Order picker | Picking individual items from high racking, with the operator rising with the load | HRWL class LO |
| Walkie stacker | Light stacking in small warehouses and backrooms, with the operator walking behind | No HRWL, but training is required |
| Pallet jack | Moving pallets at floor level across docks and into trucks | No HRWL, but training is required |
| Rough terrain forklift | Building sites, farms and timber yards, with big pneumatic tyres and high clearance | HRWL class LF |
| Container forklift | Loading and unloading shipping containers, with a low mast and free lift | HRWL class LF |
| Explosion-proof forklift | Sites with flammable gas or dust, built to avoid sparks and hot surfaces | HRWL class LF |
If you're asked for the three main types, most people mean counterbalance forklifts, reach trucks and pedestrian trucks such as walkie stackers and pallet jacks. Telehandlers lift with forks on a telescopic boom, but their licence class depends on the machine and the state, so check before you assume an LF licence covers one.
What are the 7 classes of forklifts?
The 7 classes of forklifts are a United States system set by OSHA, the American workplace safety regulator, which groups trucks by power source, tyres and operator position. Australia doesn't use these classes. Here the questions that matter are the type of truck and whether it needs an LF licence, an LO licence or no High Risk Work Licence at all, as the table above shows.
Electric, LPG or diesel forklift?
The power source decides where a forklift can work, how it refuels and what it costs to run. The table compares the three main options.
| Power | Best suited to | Watch-outs |
|---|---|---|
| Electric (lead-acid or lithium-ion) | Warehouses, food sites and noise-sensitive areas, because there are no exhaust fumes and they run quietly | Needs charging space and the right power supply; outdoor use only where the model is rated for it |
| LPG | Mixed indoor and outdoor work and long shifts, because a cylinder swap takes minutes | Indoors only with adequate ventilation; needs safe cylinder storage |
| Diesel | Yards, building sites and heavy outdoor work | Exhaust and noise make it an outdoor machine |
Electric forklifts are the usual choice for warehouse work, and our electric forklifts for sale run from 0.6 t to 48 t. Engine-powered trucks still make sense where the work is mostly outside or the loads are very heavy.
Inside the electric group, battery type follows your shift pattern. Lithium-ion suits multiple shifts because you can top it up at breaks and it needs little battery maintenance. Lead-acid costs less to buy but needs a full charge cycle, watering and a charging area. Lithium still needs the correct charger and battery management system.
If you're weighing up the cost, our guide to how much a new electric forklift costs in Australia breaks down prices and running costs.
Forklift capacity and load centre
A forklift's rated capacity is only true at the load centre and lift height stated on its data plate. The load centre is the distance from the face of the forks to the centre of gravity of the load.
Australian capacity ratings commonly use a 600 mm load centre, about half the length of a standard 1165 mm Australian pallet, while many imported spec sheets quote 500 mm. The same truck shows a higher capacity at 500 mm than at 600 mm, so always check which load centre a figure uses before comparing machines.
Say you need to move long crates whose centre of gravity sits well beyond 600 mm from the fork face. The truck can safely carry less than its rated capacity, because the load is further in front of the pivot. Capacity also drops as the forks rise towards full height and whenever an attachment is fitted, so read the load chart for the lift height and attachment you'll actually use.
Common forklift attachments
Forklift attachments let one truck handle loads that forks alone can't. The most common types of forklift attachments are:
- Side shifter: moves the forks left and right so the operator can line up a pallet without repositioning the truck
- Fork positioner: changes the gap between the forks from the seat, for mixed pallet sizes
- Fork extensions: slide over the forks for longer loads
- Clamps: grip cartons, bales, drums or paper rolls without a pallet
- Rotator: turns the carriage to tip bins and containers
- Jib: turns the forklift into a small crane for slung loads
Every attachment adds weight and moves the load further forward, which lowers the truck's capacity, so the forklift needs a revised load chart for the attachment fitted. Our team can match forklift attachments to your truck, load and application.
Do you need a licence to drive a forklift in Australia?
Yes. Driving a forklift truck in Australia requires a High Risk Work Licence, class LF for forklift trucks and class LO for order pickers where the operator's controls rise with the load. The licence is issued by your state or territory regulator after training and assessment with a Registered Training Organisation.
- The holder must be 18 or older
- A licence is generally valid for five years and must be renewed before it lapses
- A trainee may operate under the supervision of a licence holder as part of their training
- Walk-behind stackers and pallet jacks don't need an HRWL, but operators still need training and the business must manage the risk
- A business must not let anyone drive a forklift truck without the licence
Licences issued in one state are generally recognised in the others, but confirm with the regulator where the work happens. In NSW, SafeWork NSW's forklift safety guidance sets out what businesses and operators need to do.
Licensing is only part of forklift safety. SafeWork NSW names three main ways workers are killed or seriously injured in forklift incidents. They are being hit or crushed by a forklift, being hit or crushed by the load, and being crushed when a forklift tips over. Separating people from forklifts with barriers or marked walkways, carrying only stable loads, wearing the seat belt and following a site traffic management plan address all three.
How to choose a forklift
Choose a forklift by the load, the height and the place it works, then the power source and how you pay for it. The jobs vary by industry, as our guide to forklift uses across industries shows, but the checks are the same:
- Load: the heaviest load, its size and where its centre of gravity sits, with a margin over your heaviest pallet
- Lift height: the top beam of your racking or the highest stack, plus clearance, and the capacity the truck keeps at that height
- Floor and environment: smooth concrete, a yard, rough ground, cold rooms or a site with flammable gas or dust
- Aisle width: narrow aisles point to a reach truck, wide aisles and docks to a counterbalance forklift
- Shifts and power: how many hours a day the truck runs and whether it works inside, outside or both
- Attachments: whether you need a side shifter, clamp or other tool from day one
Then decide how to pay for it. Buying suits steady long-term work, rent to own spreads the cost, and forklift hire covers peak seasons and projects, with a standard minimum term of 3 months.
Seeing the truck in person helps. Yue, a Sydney branch customer, wrote that the team found a machine to fit the budget and needs without trying to upsell, and Judy valued being able to try the forklift before buying.
It is good that we can book in to visit and try the actual forklift way much better than just look online and compare the ones that we want.
Judy z., Sydney branch customer
These stories come from public Google reviews, where you can read the full Google reviews of DJJ Equipment Sydney.
A forklift is the right machine whenever pallets and heavy loads need lifting, stacking or moving, and the right type depends on your load, lift height, floor and aisles. Start with the heaviest load and the highest lift, then choose the power source and the way you'll pay for it. To find the right truck, call DJJ on 1800 355 388 or visit our Silverwater, Meadowbrook or Bayswater branch with your load weights, racking height and aisle width.
