Walk onto almost any construction yard, steel fabrication shop or civil site in Sydney and you'll see the same machine doing the heavy lifting: a pick-and-carry crane — most people just call them Frannas. Operating one legally requires a non slewing crane licence (class CN), and the course that gets you there is one of the fastest, most employable tickets in the high risk work system. Here's everything you need to know before you book.
What counts as a non slewing crane?
A non slewing mobile crane is a mobile crane fitted with a boom or jib that cannot slew — the boom can luff up and down, but it can't rotate independently of the crane's chassis. To move a load sideways, the whole machine steers and drives. That's the classic pick-and-carry design: lift the load at the front, carry it across the yard, set it down.
Under the NSW high risk work licensing framework, the CN class covers non slewing mobile cranes with a rated capacity greater than 3 tonnes. Machines at or under 3 tonnes don't require a HRW licence — but very few working Frannas fall under that line, so in practice, if you're operating one on a commercial site, you need the CN.
One point that surprises people: an articulated steering pick-and-carry crane is still non slewing, even though the machine bends in the middle. Articulation is steering, not slewing.
What the CN ticket lets you do — and what it doesn't
With a CN licence you can:
- Operate Franna-style pick-and-carry cranes (the AT and MAC series machines you see everywhere in Australia)
- Operate other non slewing mobile cranes over 3 tonnes capacity
- Carry loads — unlike most crane classes, pick-and-carry work means travelling with a suspended load is part of the job, and the course trains you for it
What it doesn't cover:
- Slewing mobile cranes — that's C2, C6, C1 or C0 territory
- Vehicle loading cranes (CV)
- Tower cranes (CT) or self-erecting tower cranes (CS)
- Forklifts — different licence entirely (LF)
If your goal is all-round mobile crane work, the common Sydney pathway is CN first (fast, cheap, immediately employable), then C6 slewing once you've got seat time and site hours behind you. Holding both makes you the flexible operator every crane hire company wants on the books.
Who needs a CN licence?
- Steel erectors and riggers moving beams and columns around lay-down areas
- Yard hands and storemen in fabrication shops, precast yards and pipe yards
- Civil crews shifting pits, headwalls and barriers
- Crane hire operators — Frannas are the bread-and-butter of every Sydney crane fleet
- Plant operators adding a lifting ticket to their skill set
Because the Franna is the most common crane in Australia — they make up a huge share of the national mobile crane fleet — CN holders rarely sit idle. It's often the first crane ticket employers screen for.
What the course covers
A non slewing crane course in NSW typically runs one to two days depending on your experience, and works to the nationally recognised unit TLILIC0040 (Licence to operate a non-slewing mobile crane greater than 3 tonnes capacity). Expect:
- Planning the work. Site inspection, ground conditions and slope limits (critical for pick-and-carry stability), overhead hazards including powerline exclusion zones, and traffic management.
- Load charts and capacity. Reading the crane's load chart for lift-and-carry versus stationary lifts, understanding how articulation angle and boom length reduce capacity, and the golden rule: know your load weight before you lift.
- Pre-operational checks. Walk-around inspection, logbook, tyres (tyre condition is a big deal on pick-and-carry machines — they're your outriggers), brakes, boom and hook.
- Operating. Picking up, travelling with and placing loads; working with a dogman; whistle, hand and two-way signals; parking and shutdown.
- Assessment. Knowledge questions, calculations, and a practical assessment with a SafeWork-accredited assessor. Pass and you receive a Notice of Satisfactory Assessment to lodge with SafeWork NSW through Service NSW for your photo licence.
Prerequisites and what to bring
There is no formal prerequisite ticket for CN — you don't need dogging first, because non slewing crane work under the licence includes the load-handling knowledge you need for the machine itself. You must be 18 or over, hold photo ID, and be able to complete the written assessment in English. A dogging (DG) ticket is still a smart pairing — most CN work happens alongside slinging and directing loads, and holding both makes you far more useful to an employer.
Cost and how long it takes
In Sydney, expect a non slewing crane course to cost roughly $800–$1,500 depending on provider, course length and whether you're experienced or starting fresh. It's one of the cheaper crane tickets because the course is short. Add the SafeWork NSW licence application fee when you lodge your assessment notice. Total time from booking to assessment can be under a week if course dates line up — which makes CN one of the quickest routes from no ticket to crane operator in NSW.
What CN operators earn
Franna operators in Sydney commonly earn $40–$50+ an hour on civil and commercial work, with experienced operators on major projects — especially those holding CN plus dogging or a slewing class — pushing well beyond that with allowances and overtime. Set that against a course cost of around a thousand dollars and the CN is one of the best value-for-money tickets in construction.
Choosing where to train
The quality gap between providers shows up in one place: time on the machine. Before booking, ask how much hands-on operating you'll actually get, whether the training crane is a current-model pick-and-carry (not a museum piece), the class size, and whether the RTO's assessor is SafeWork-accredited. Check the provider's reviews from real students, and ask about combo pricing if you're planning to stack tickets — CN pairs naturally with dogging and C6.
In Western Sydney, Training Combined at Regents Park has delivered high risk work training for over 25 years, holds a 5.0-star Google rating across hundreds of reviews, and runs non slewing crane training alongside dogging, rigging, slewing crane, forklift and EWP courses — with combo packages for operators building the full lift-crew skill set. Wherever you book, apply the checklist above and you won't go far wrong.
FAQ
Is a Franna ticket the same as a CN licence? Yes — "Franna ticket" is site slang for the CN (non slewing mobile crane over 3 tonnes) high risk work licence. Franna is a brand name that became shorthand for pick-and-carry cranes generally.
Can I operate a Franna with a C6 or C1 licence? No. Slewing crane classes don't cover non slewing machines, and vice versa. If you operate both types, you need both licences. Many operators hold CN alongside a slewing class for exactly that reason.
How long does the CN licence last, and does it work interstate? Five years, renewable through Service NSW. Because it's a nationally recognised high risk work licence, it's valid in every Australian state and territory.