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CACES 5: the reach truck

Twenty questions geared to high-level storage, the reach mast and the capacity plate, drawn from the R489 bank.

Independent site, not linked to the French Health Insurance (Assurance Maladie), the INRS, testing bodies or training centres.

Question 1 of 20 · Ride-on truck technology and stability
Which situation makes the machine tip forward?

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Questions written by Radif Partners from the French Health Insurance recommendations. This is not the official test, which is sat at a certified testing body and is in French. Your answers stay in this browser.

Category 5 of recommendation R489 covers reach trucks, whose mast moves forward to pick up the load and back between the outriggers to carry it, as well as single-side loaders. It is the machine of high-racking warehouses and narrow aisles, where a counterbalance truck could not turn. Multi-directional and turret trucks with a fixed operator position also fall under it, with extra training. The CACES 5 is made of the R489 theory test, the same as for the other categories, and a practical test of 0.75 test unit. It is valid for 5 years. As of 23 October 2026, the median initial course costs €765 in the Mon Compte Formation catalogue, for a median length of 21 hours. Reading the capacity plate weighs more here than elsewhere, as capacity drops quickly with lift height.

Is this load within the load chart?

Handling

Allowed

Maximum load read2,050 kg
Maximum height for this load4.5 m
Rulerow and column equal or above
Load chart questions →

Questions, explanations and calculations by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method

Category 5 machines, and those that are not

Annex 1 of recommendation R.489A.
MachineR489 categoryNote
Reach truck5
Single-side loader5
Multi-directional or turret truck, fixed cab5Extra training
Combi truck, rising cab6Extra training
Counterbalance truck, up to 6 t3

Height, the first risk of the category

Above a few metres, a badly placed load or a knock against a beam can drop the pallet or parcels on a pedestrian in the aisle. The driver checks the plate capacity at the target height and the state of the slot, then lifts and lowers slowly with the mast upright. Travel is done with the load low and the mast retracted. These moves are marked in the practical test and come back in the operation theme of the theory test, worth 50 points.

How long is the R489 test?

Full test

2 TU

Theory1 TU (1 h ± 10 min)
Practical1.00 TU
Median course (CPF)21 h, €784

At most 7 test units per candidate per day.

Price and funding →
Mon Compte Formation offers on 23 October 2026 (Caisse des Dépôts, Licence Ouverte).
CategoryMedian initial priceMedian lengthMedian refresher
5€76521 hours€600
6€69621 hours€550

Category 5 courses are also where trainers spend the most time on the pick-up and set-down sequence at height: approach square to the rack, stop, raise, extend the mast, lower onto the beam, retract, then lower the forks before moving off. The theory test asks about each step and why it comes in that order.

For the plate-reading method, see the load chart page; for the counterbalance truck, the CACES 3 page.

Questions operators and candidates ask

Can I take the CACES 5 without the CACES 3?

Yes. Categories are independent: none is a prerequisite for another. Many candidates still take both together, because warehouses often use counterbalance trucks on the docks and reach trucks in the aisles. The shared theory test is then sat only once, and both categories end on dates worked out from the same rules.

Why does a reach truck lose so much capacity at height?

Because at height the mast bends, the load sways and the slightest tilt moves the centre of gravity. The manufacturer therefore reduces capacity above a certain height, and the plate shows it step by step. The small tool on this page reads a fictitious reach truck plate.

Is a turret truck covered by the CACES 5?

Yes, if its operator position does not rise, but the recommendation also requires extra training on narrow aisles and multi-directional equipment. If the cab rises with the load, it is a combi truck, which falls under category 6, also with extra narrow-aisle training.

How much does the CACES 5 cost?

As of 23 October 2026, the median price of initial course offers is €765 in the Mon Compte Formation catalogue, and €600 for a refresher. A course combined with category 3 is often offered, at a price covering both categories.

Keep going

CACES R489: forklift trucks

R489 mock test of 100 questions, the seven truck categories, the marking scheme and the median price per category.

CACES 3: counterbalance forklift

The counterbalance forklift up to 6 tonnes: a targeted set, the capacity plate, test length and median price.

Load chart

Reading a capacity plate row by row: capacity by lift height and load centre, with practice plates.

Forklift stability

Stability triangle, sideways overturn, forward tip-over: the causes, the habits that prevent them and targeted practice.

CACES price

Median price and range for each category, initial and refresher, by region, from the CPF catalogue.

CACES mock exam

One hundred questions drawn with each recommendation’s official weighting, a one-hour timer, marked at 70 and by theme.

Official texts behind this page

Written by

Independent publisher of free CACES theory practice tests, with no account, written from the French Health Insurance recommendations

Rules and prices checked on · Editorial policy · Contact

CACES rules 2026, read in the French Health Insurance recommendations and the Labour Code, last checked on