Forklift Insurance
Forklifts work in tight, busy spaces around people, stock and racking all day.
We arrange forklift insurance that covers the machine, the damage it can cause and the liability that comes with it.
Cover for the machine that moves everything else in the business.
Cover for Forklifts in Busy Warehouses and Yards
A forklift operates close to people, stock and structures, so a small mistake can cause serious damage or injury.
Counterbalance, reach truck, order picker and walkie stacker each do a different job in a different space, and an underwriter rates them on that rather than on the word forklift.
Toppled loads, damaged racking and contact with people are all common forklift incidents, and the bill is rarely the machine itself.
We structure cover that protects the machine and your liability, so a busy warehouse stays a safe one for the business.
“A forklift's biggest risk is what it can damage, the stock, the racking and the people around it.”
Paul CohalanFounding Principal Broker, All Trucks InsuranceWhat Forklift Insurance Typically Covers
Cover is tailored to the machine and your site, and generally includes the following.
- Accidental damage, collision and overturning
- Fire, theft and attempted theft
- Damage while in transit between sites
- Attachments such as forks, clamps, rotators and jibs
- The battery pack, charger or LPG system as part of the machine value
- Vandalism and malicious damage
- Damage caused while loading or unloading a truck or container
- Damage caused while lifting and stacking loads
- Hire costs to keep operations moving during repairs, where arranged
- Cover across multiple sites Australia wide
Cover varies by insurer and how you operate. We confirm exactly what is and isn’t included before you rely on it.
The Risks a Forklift Faces
Forklifts carry exposures driven by where and how they work.
Damage to Stock and Racking
One hit to an upright can drop a whole run of racking and everything standing on it. The repair bill is rarely the forklift, it is the stock and the structure that came down with it.
Injury to People
A forklift shares its floor with pickers, drivers and visitors who are not always looking where it is going. Contact with a person is the incident that turns a claim into an investigation, and liability cover is what answers it.
Tip-Over With a Raised Load
Rated capacity falls away the higher and further forward you lift. Turning with a raised load, or crossing a slope, is where a stable machine becomes an unstable one.
Cover Types That Work With Forklift Insurance
Forklift operators usually arrange one or two of these alongside the machine cover.
Get Forklift Insurance Sorted Properly
Talk to a specialist transport and plant broker who knows what your asset is worth and how it works.
Call 1300 78 78 25Other Vehicles & Equipment We Cover
Most operators run more than one type of asset. These are the ones most often insured alongside it.
Get a Forklift Insurance Quote
Tell us about your asset and how you use it. We’ll arrange cover that fits and respond within 1 business day.
Call us1300 78 78 25Forklift Insurance: Frequently Asked Questions
No law forces you to insure a forklift that stays on your own property, and workers compensation is a separate compulsory cover that does not pay for the machine or for the damage it causes. Most operators insure it anyway, because a landlord, a head contractor or a hire agreement usually requires it, and because the racking and stock around the machine are worth more than the machine.
Two separate things. The machine itself against accidental damage, fire, theft and overturning, and your liability for damage or injury the forklift causes to other people and their property. Most operators need both, and they usually sit on different policies. We map out which one responds to which incident before you have to find out.
Only if it uses a public road. A forklift that never leaves your yard or warehouse is treated as mobile plant with no registration involved. One that crosses or travels along a public road brings registration and compulsory third party into it, and those rules are set state by state, so we check where yours actually works.
Yes. Counterbalance, reach truck, order picker and walkie stacker are all rated as forklifts, they just work in different spaces. Tell us which you run and how high they lift, because lift height and capacity are what the underwriter prices.
It changes both the risk and the value. An electric machine carries a battery and charger worth a large share of its replacement cost, and an LPG machine carries a fuel system and a bottle store that sit in the fire exposure. We make sure the sum insured reflects the whole machine rather than the bare truck.
Damage the forklift causes to third-party property is a liability exposure, and damage to your own stock can be addressed too. We map out which policy responds so there are no gaps.
Yes. We arrange cover that follows the machine across multiple sites and while it is in transit between them.
Yes. Attachments are scheduled as part of the machine and covered for accidental damage and theft.
A forklift operator needs a high risk work licence, class LF, and an order picker needs class LO. Insurers expect licensed operators, so keeping those records current protects a claim as much as it satisfies the regulator.
Most operators do. Forklifts work near people and property, so public liability cover is usually arranged alongside the machine policy.
No. Each is a different machine carrying a different risk, so each is written on its own cover. Telehandler insurance handles telescopic handlers, scissor lift insurance handles vertical platforms, and boom lift insurance handles cherry pickers and knuckle booms.
Compliance Disclaimer: This information is general in nature and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Please consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) before making any decision.