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Life As an Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator
Job Description & Duties Operate industrial trucks or tractors equipped to move materials around a warehouse, storage yard, factory, construction site, or similar location.
Life As an Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator
- 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.
- Position lifting devices under, over, or around loaded pallets, skids, or boxes and secure material or products for transport to designated areas.
- Signal workers to discharge, dump, or level materials.
- Weigh materials or products and record weight or other production data on tags or labels.
- Manually or mechanically load or unload materials from pallets, skids, platforms, cars, lifting devices, or other transport vehicles.
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What Every Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator Should Know
Below is a list of the skills most Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators say are important on the job.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Related Job Titles
- Electric Truck Operator
- Dolly Driver
- Reach-Lift Truck Driver
- Industrial Truck Driver
- Uke Operator
Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator Job Outlook
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 549,900 jobs in the United States for Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 6.5% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 36,000 new jobs for Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator by 2026. There will be an estimated 65,900 positions for Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator per year.
The states with the most job growth for Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator are Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Delaware, or District of Columbia. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator Salary
The salary for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators ranges between about $24,910 and $51,620 a year.
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators who work in Alaska, District of Columbia, or Hawaii, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $33,520 |
| Alaska | $53,580 |
| Arizona | $35,910 |
| Arkansas | $33,150 |
| California | $37,940 |
| Colorado | $36,670 |
| Connecticut | $40,980 |
| Delaware | $39,630 |
| District of Columbia | $50,240 |
| Florida | $36,460 |
| Georgia | $36,700 |
| Hawaii | $50,540 |
| Idaho | $35,450 |
| Illinois | $36,240 |
| Indiana | $35,420 |
| Iowa | $37,950 |
| Kansas | $36,440 |
| Kentucky | $33,980 |
| Louisiana | $35,560 |
| Maine | $35,920 |
| Maryland | $40,490 |
| Massachusetts | $39,370 |
| Michigan | $37,830 |
| Minnesota | $41,500 |
| Mississippi | $31,500 |
| Missouri | $35,750 |
| Montana | $37,500 |
| Nebraska | $34,880 |
| Nevada | $38,400 |
| New Hampshire | $41,340 |
| New Jersey | $36,490 |
| New Mexico | $37,650 |
| New York | $42,340 |
| North Carolina | $33,720 |
| North Dakota | $39,920 |
| Ohio | $35,490 |
| Oklahoma | $36,140 |
| Oregon | $37,410 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,730 |
| Rhode Island | $38,390 |
| South Carolina | $34,820 |
| South Dakota | $35,010 |
| Tennessee | $33,810 |
| Texas | $33,580 |
| Utah | $35,850 |
| Vermont | $39,690 |
| Virginia | $37,900 |
| Washington | $43,430 |
| West Virginia | $39,200 |
| Wisconsin | $37,890 |
| Wyoming | $40,520 |
What Tools & Technology do Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- SAP
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Inventory management software
- RedPrairie DLx Warehouse
Becoming an Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator
Learn what Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator education requirements there are.
What work experience do I need to become an Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator?
Where Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Are Employed
Below are examples of industries where Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators work:
Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those thinking about becoming an Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator might also be interested in the following careers:
Those who work as an Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.