Material Moving Workers

How to become an Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator

Official title: Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators

Also called: Checker Loader, Fork Lift Technician, Fork Truck Driver, Forklift Driver, Forklift Operator, Lift Truck Operator, Shag Truck Driver, Spotter Driver, Tow Motor Operator, Truck Driver

Operate industrial trucks or tractors equipped to move materials around a warehouse, storage yard, factory, construction site, or similar location.

Main tasks

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.

How to become one

Education requirements vary by occupation. Crane and tower operators typically need work experience in a related occupation.

Typical education to start: No formal educational credential

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $46,420 a year The middle half earn $40,030 to $54,770.
About 765,200 people work in this job now, and about 776,300 are projected by 2035. (+1.5%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become an Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator?

Education requirements vary by occupation. Crane and tower operators typically need work experience in a related occupation.

How much does an Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $46,420 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $40,030 to $54,770.

Is an Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 765,200 people now and 776,300 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become an Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator?

Usually not. Only 4% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of an Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.