What AFRA accreditation actually requires
AFRA (Australian Furniture Removers Association) is the peak body for removalists in Australia. Members meet a set of documented standards covering safety, insurance, ethics and equipment — and get audited on those standards, not just asked to fill in a form.
Rather than take our word for it, here's the checklist an AFRA member has to keep current, and that the association periodically audits against.
The audited standards
- Workplace health & safety policy — documented, current, and applied on every job.
- Drug & alcohol policy — mandatory for all crew, tested if incidents warrant.
- Fatigue management policy — hours-of-service tracking, rest rules on interstate trips.
- Vehicle register — driver licences current, trucks registered, maintenance and defect logs kept.
- Risk / incident register with a management plan — not a filing cabinet, an actual review process.
- Complaints policy — customer complaints logged, actioned and closed with a documented trail.
- Customer terms & conditions — plain-English, published, consistent across quotes.
- HVNL (Heavy Vehicle National Law) or equivalent compliance — chain-of-responsibility documented.
- ABN and GST registration — because "cash discounts" often mean no invoice, no recourse, no insurance.
AFRA vs non-AFRA — what actually differs
| Easy Peasy (AFRA) | Non-AFRA operator | |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance | Public liability + goods-in-transit, current certificates on request | Often absent or expired |
| Truck safety | Registered, maintained, defect-logged | Unknown — often unregistered or unroadworthy |
| Crew screening | Drug & alcohol policy, licence checks, fatigue policy | Whoever showed up on the day |
| Complaint recourse | Documented policy + industry body to escalate to | Cash disputes, no paper trail |
| Pricing | GST-inclusive quote, published rates, tax invoice | "Cash discount" that voids your consumer protections |
| Damage cover | Goods-in-transit insurance included | "We're careful" is not insurance |
What that means for your move
Practically, three things. First, if a piece of furniture gets damaged in transit, there's an actual insurance policy that pays for the repair — not a "sorry mate" text message. Second, every crew that shows up has been through documented training and screening; they're not casual weekend hires with a hired truck. Third, if something goes wrong, there's an industry body you can escalate to — AFRA can revoke membership from operators that don't meet the standards.
None of this makes a move cheaper. What it does is make the quote real — the number in your inbox is the number you pay, backed by a business that's still going to be here next month.
