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Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators

Typical education: High school diplomaHigh pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

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

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $46,420 Median per year · $22.32/hr Most earn $36,840–$62,520

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Inspect product load for accuracy and safely move it around the warehouse or facility to ensure timely and complete delivery.
  • Turn valves and open chutes to dump, spray, or release materials from dump cars or storage bins into hoppers.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Operate or tend automatic stacking, loading, packaging, or cutting machines.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Numerous Job Openings

United States
2% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 64,700 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Warehousing and storage35.6%
  • Temporary help services7.5%
  • Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods5.3%
  • Merchant wholesalers, durable goods4.6%
  • Scheduled air transportation3.2%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

This is an entry-level job. Most people need a high school diploma or GED, and many get hired after about 6 months to 1 year of related work, such as warehouse or yard labor, before they start running equipment.

  1. High school diploma or GED

    4 years

    Finish high school and build basic math, reading, and safety habits, which employers look for when hiring for equipment roles.

  2. Hand Laborer or Material Mover

    6 months to 1 year

    Work in a warehouse, store stockroom, or yard moving goods by hand, learning inventory, loading, and workplace safety rules before you're trusted with a machine.

  3. Industrial Truck and Tractor Operator

    Ongoing

    Get trained and certified on forklifts or tractors (employers usually provide this, and safety training is required), then operate equipment to move materials around the site.

Where it can lead

  1. Hoist and Winch Operator

    1-3 years of experience first

    Move into running hoists and winches that lift heavy loads, which usually takes more experience and careful attention to load weights and signals.

  2. Operating Engineer

    2-4 years of experience first

    Run larger construction equipment such as bulldozers and excavators, which requires more hands-on experience and often formal training from an apprenticeship or union program.

  3. Warehouse Supervisor

    3-5 years of experience first

    Lead a team of operators and workers, schedule shifts, and track productivity and safety, which requires strong communication and organizing skills more than equipment skill alone.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take shop, auto, or CTE logistics classesHands-on classes teach mechanical basics and how machines and materials work, which helps with equipment operation.
  • Take a safety or first aid courseMany schools and local groups offer safety or CPR classes, which show employers you take workplace safety seriously.
  • Get a part-time job stocking or moving goodsGrocery, retail, or warehouse work gives you early experience handling materials and following site rules.
  • Help on a farm or at a lumber yardWorking around tractors or yard equipment, with adult supervision, builds familiarity with machines and outdoor work sites.
  • Practice reading simple charts and labelsReading inventory lists, load labels, and safety signs is part of the daily work, so good reading and math skills help.

In college

  • Take logistics or supply chain coursesClasses on warehousing and inventory show how materials move through a facility, which helps you understand your role as an operator.
  • Work a part-time warehouse or yard jobA campus or town job moving materials builds experience that employers value when hiring operators.
  • Earn forklift or equipment trainingCompleting formal training while in school can make you a stronger job candidate and speeds up your start on the job.
  • Join a student organization like SkillsUSA or a supply chain clubThese groups build teamwork and safety habits and can connect you with local employers who hire operators.
  • Learn basic inventory or warehouse softwareMany facilities track materials digitally, so familiarity with spreadsheets or inventory systems makes you more useful on the job.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask employers whether they offer forklift or equipment training. Many warehouses train new workers on the job, so you can start learning before you are fully qualified.
  • Get any job that moves materials, such as a stockroom, grocery backroom, or farm or lumber yard job. This builds the experience employers look for.
  • Learn and follow safety rules closely. Operators are trusted with equipment that can injure people, and a clean safety record helps you advance.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

  • Ground Transportation Certificate: typical pay 1 year after finishing $48,327 a year · typical debt $6,365

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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