Nineteen finalists from around Australia will test their proficiency in forklift operation on Thursday 28 October at The Sydney Safety Show, Homebush. Each contestant will be required to drive to the national load shifting standard and see how they perform under pressure with two judges watching every movement while keeping score.
 
This year has seen greater female participation with five finalists competing. The judges have said that the knowledge and skill of the contestants seems to be much higher this year compared with 2009. It seems that everyone is eager to be the 2010 national champion and win the $1500 prize money for either the male or female category. The 2009 national champions, Mark and Anita, will defend their title and hopefully win a second trophy.
 
This year will see the first husband and wife competing. One can only imagine what the dinner table talk will be if one becomes the national champion and the other misses out. This will add a new dimension to the grand final.
 
The novelty event this year is ten-pin bowling using a forklift. Curiosity levels have certainly increased with visitors to the Safety Show and Materials Handling exhibition on Wednesday being able to try their luck and skill on the day before the grand final. Register at the Adaptalift Hyster stand and try to be a winner. You will need a valid forklift licence and you can ‘go bowling’ from 10.00 am.
 
New counterbalanced battery electric forklifts will be used this year by the contestants. In 2011 the competition will use high-reach forklift trucks to expand the potential competition base for contestants. This forklift type is used in many high-rise warehouses and DCs.
 
Many more in-house company heats were held this year, with some large companies missing out due to time constraints. The organisers, the Australian Warehousing Association, has been approached to extend the event to New Zealand in 2011.