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Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators: Job Description
Operate industrial trucks or tractors equipped to move materials around a warehouse, storage yard, factory, construction site, or similar location.
What Tasks Do Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of industrial truck and tractor operators span:
- 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.
Skills and Knowledge
Effective industrial truck and tractor operators rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- CAT Driver (Caterpillar Driver)
- CAT Operator (Caterpillar Operator)
- CAT Skinner (Caterpillar Skinner)
- CAT Tender (Caterpillar Tender)
- CAT Tractor Operator (Caterpillar Tractor Operator)
- Carry All Driver
- Charging Car Operator
- Checker Loader
Job Outlook
The U.S. employs around 364,914 industrial truck and tractor operators working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +11.3% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $36,138 |
| Hourly median | $17.37 |
| 10th percentile | $24,129 |
| 25th percentile | $30,133 |
| 75th percentile | $42,142 |
| 90th percentile | $48,147 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $81,470 |
| New Mexico | $60,960 |
| Delaware | $60,030 |
| Hawaii | $58,070 |
| Wyoming | $56,170 |
| Alaska | $50,630 |
| New Hampshire | $50,490 |
| Oregon | $50,050 |
| New York | $49,610 |
| California | $48,720 |
| Colorado | $48,460 |
| Minnesota | $48,420 |
| Virginia | $48,380 |
| Washington | $48,270 |
| Kansas | $48,120 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,900 |
| Utah | $47,500 |
| Connecticut | $47,420 |
| Arizona | $47,250 |
| Montana | $47,230 |
| Louisiana | $47,200 |
| Illinois | $47,090 |
| Maine | $47,080 |
| Iowa | $46,950 |
| Massachusetts | $46,870 |
| Idaho | $46,870 |
| North Dakota | $46,800 |
| Maryland | $46,670 |
| Wisconsin | $46,660 |
| Ohio | $46,340 |
| Nevada | $46,280 |
| Nebraska | $46,120 |
| Vermont | $46,020 |
| Texas | $45,820 |
| Florida | $45,790 |
| New Jersey | $45,620 |
| South Dakota | $45,590 |
| Indiana | $45,310 |
| Oklahoma | $44,830 |
| Michigan | $44,380 |
| Georgia | $44,330 |
| Missouri | $44,300 |
| Rhode Island | $44,040 |
| Kentucky | $43,340 |
| Alabama | $42,640 |
| Arkansas | $42,630 |
| Mississippi | $42,430 |
| North Carolina | $42,250 |
| South Carolina | $41,770 |
| West Virginia | $40,930 |
| Tennessee | $40,760 |
| Puerto Rico | $34,880 |
| Guam | $33,000 |
| Virgin Islands | $31,950 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for industrial truck and tractor operators differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $48,732 | 16.6% | 1.02 |
| Middle Atlantic | $48,510 | 12.7% | 1.16 |
| Rocky Mountains | $48,132 | 2.4% | 0.63 |
| New England | $47,154 | 2.2% | 0.51 |
| Plains States | $46,495 | 5.8% | 0.91 |
| Southwest | $46,203 | 16.2% | 1.35 |
| Great Lakes | $45,955 | 16.6% | 1.22 |
| Southeast | $43,903 | 27.0% | 1.30 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flint, MI | MI | $76,430 | 920 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | HI | $63,970 | 60 |
| Cheyenne, WY | WY | $61,420 | 330 |
| Albuquerque, NM | NM | $60,960 | 1,720 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | WA | $58,800 | 70 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | CA | $57,630 | 8,810 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $57,250 | 6,400 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | NJ | $56,580 | 150 |
Industry Breakdown
The largest employers of industrial truck and tractor operators work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 391,620 | $47,900 |
| Manufacturing | 179,250 | $45,200 |
| Wholesale Trade | 89,310 | $45,110 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 69,500 | $38,200 |
| Retail Trade | 32,990 | $46,230 |
| Construction | 9,070 | $48,980 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8,260 | $38,480 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 7,420 | $40,650 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Software Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Use
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
- Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software: Warehouse management system WMS (in demand)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of industrial truck and tractor operators is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Time Pressure
- Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
Getting Started in This Career
Most industrial truck and tractor operators positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Agricultural Equipment Operators (Supplemental)
- Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators (Supplemental)
- Pile Driver Operators (Primary-Long)
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (Primary-Short)
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (Primary-Long)
- Continuous Mining Machine Operators (Supplemental)
- Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining (Primary-Short)
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for industrial truck and tractor operators typically earn programs in:
Transportation and Materials Moving
1 programs across 1 majors
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 53-7051.00 (Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators).
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