Forklift Driver Labour Hire in Sydney
A good forklift driver keeps a warehouse moving. A poor one damages stock, racking and equipment — or hurts someone. Whether you’re using forklift driver labour hire in Sydney or hiring direct, forklift roles deserve more careful screening than almost any other warehouse position.
Here’s what to check before a new driver goes live on your floor.
Check the licence
In New South Wales, operating a forklift requires a High Risk Work Licence issued by SafeWork NSW. The two classes you’ll see most often are:
- LF — forklift truck, covering counterbalance forklifts and reach trucks
- LO — order-picking forklift truck, where the operator’s platform lifts with the load
Sight the licence, confirm it’s current and in the worker’s name, and verify it with SafeWork NSW. A photo on someone’s phone isn’t verification.
Check experience
A licence proves someone passed an assessment. It doesn’t prove they can work safely and efficiently on your site. Ask about:
- Equipment type — counterbalance, reach truck, order picker, high-reach, walkie stacker
- Rack heights — putting away at height is very different from ground-level work
- Environment — cold storage, container unloading, busy cross-docks, narrow aisles
- Load types — palletised goods, long loads, drums, bulk bags, fragile stock
- Pace — high-volume DCs with tight dispatch windows need drivers who are quick and careful
- Systems — RF scanners and WMS experience for put-away and replenishment
Down a forklift driver? ASTAR supplies licence-verified forklift and reach truck drivers across Sydney. Call 1300 562 562 or send us your request.
Assess on your equipment
Even experienced drivers should complete a practical check before working unsupervised:
- Site induction — traffic management, pedestrian zones, speed limits, emergency procedures
- Pre-start check — watch them do one properly
- Practical assessment — on your forklifts, at your rack heights, with your typical loads
- Buddy period — with an experienced driver for the first shift on complex sites
Record the assessment. It protects you, the driver and your labour hire provider, and it’s part of the shared safety duties explained in our guide to labour hire WHS responsibilities in NSW.
Interview questions
- What forklift types have you driven, and for how long?
- What’s the highest you regularly put away?
- Tell me about a time you stopped work because something wasn’t safe.
- Walk me through your pre-start check.
- Have you worked on a site with a traffic management plan? What did it involve?
The answers to the safety questions usually tell you more than the experience questions.
Red flags
- A licence that can’t be verified, or is in another name
- Vague answers about equipment types
- Dismissive attitudes to pre-starts or speed limits
- A string of short jobs with no clear reason
Forklift driver labour hire in Sydney
Licensed, experienced forklift drivers are among the hardest warehouse roles to fill quickly, especially in peak season. A labour hire agency with a pre-screened pool can cover absences, surges and new contracts without you advertising, verifying licences and interviewing from scratch each time.
ASTAR supplies forklift drivers to warehouses throughout Western and South-Western Sydney, including Smithfield, Seven Hills and the Liverpool area.
FAQs
What licence is needed in NSW?
A High Risk Work Licence from SafeWork NSW in the right class — usually LF for counterbalance and reach trucks, or LO for order-picking forklifts.
Does it cover reach trucks?
Reach trucks generally fall under the LF class, but always confirm the driver has real experience on reach trucks at your rack heights.
How fast can I get a driver?
ASTAR fills 92% of shifts by the next day, with a median of 3 hours from your call to confirmed names.
Who is responsible for safety?
Both the host business and the labour hire provider have safety duties and need to consult and coordinate with each other.
Talk to ASTAR
ASTAR Recruitment has supplied warehouse and logistics workers in Sydney since 2006. We verify licences, screen for equipment-specific experience and match drivers to your site before they arrive. Workers are paid weekly, and you’re invoiced weekly with electronic timesheets.