Transportation & Logistics
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
Also called: Checker Loader, Fork Lift Technician, Fork Truck Driver, Forklift Driver
US median pay
$46,420
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+1.5%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
64,700
765,200 employed
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
Operate industrial trucks or tractors equipped to move materials around a warehouse, storage yard, factory, construction site, or similar location.
What they do day to day
- Move levers or controls that operate lifting devices, such as forklifts, lift beams with swivel-hooks, hoists, or elevating platforms, to load, unload, transport, or stack material.
- Move controls to drive gasoline- or electric-powered trucks, cars, or tractors and transport materials between loading, processing, and storage areas.
- Manually or mechanically load or unload materials from pallets, skids, platforms, cars, lifting devices, or other transport vehicles.
- Position lifting devices under, over, or around loaded pallets, skids, or boxes and secure material or products for transport to designated areas.
- Inspect product load for accuracy and safely move it around the warehouse or facility to ensure timely and complete delivery.
- Weigh materials or products and record weight or other production data on tags or labels.
- Perform routine maintenance on vehicles or auxiliary equipment, such as cleaning, lubricating, recharging batteries, fueling, or replacing liquefied-gas tank.
- Operate or tend automatic stacking, loading, packaging, or cutting machines.
- Turn valves and open chutes to dump, spray, or release materials from dump cars or storage bins into hoppers.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Operation and Control3.9/5
- Operations Monitoring3.2/5
- Troubleshooting3.0/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Equipment Maintenance3.0/5
- Coordination3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.8/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.6/5
Knowledge
- Mathematics3.0/5
- English Language2.8/5
- Production and Processing2.8/5
- Transportation2.8/5
- Customer and Personal Service2.5/5
- Administration and Management2.5/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): No formal educational credential.
Highest education of people in this job:
- High school diploma73%
- Less than high school23%
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.