Champion ... Mike Pennall

The New Zealand National Forklift Drivers' Championships is on again, and 14 qualifiers are preparing for the final in Auckland next month.

Chief judge of the championships is Maurice Flood, national forklift instructors' registrar for New Zealand's Occupational Safety & Health Service. He said this year's competition was the "best yet".

"The standard of the competitors has been very good, and the final is looking like it will be quite close," he told Forkliftaction.com News this week. "Last year's winner, Mike Pennall, made the finals, but he was under a lot of pressure."

The 14 qualifying drivers include eight winners of the regional competition, which has run throughout New Zealand since May, and the next six-highest ranked drivers from around the country.

The finals this year feature its first female forklift driver, Donna Karena. Donna represents a growing involvement in the competition by women, Flood said.

"The participation by female drivers has been increasing steadily over recent years, and Karen's qualification is testament to the wealth of female talent there is here," he said.

Forklift finalists will compete in a series of set courses at Loadlift Equipment Ltd in Auckland over two days from October 13. Loadlift is a major sponsor and has supplied Nissan LX 2.5 tonne capacity forklifts for the competition.