Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator

Find Schools Near

What Does it Take to Be an Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator?

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

Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator Responsibilities

  • Weigh materials or products and record weight or other production data on tags or labels.
  • Hook tow trucks to trailer hitches and fasten attachments, such as graders, plows, rollers, or winch cables to tractors, using hitchpins.
  • Signal workers to discharge, dump, or level materials.
  • Turn valves and open chutes to dump, spray, or release materials from dump cars or storage bins into hoppers.
  • Operate or tend automatic stacking, loading, packaging, or cutting machines.
  • Move controls to drive gasoline- or electric-powered trucks, cars, or tractors and transport materials between loading, processing, and storage areas.

Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator Required Skills

When polled, Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

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.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Types of Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator Jobs

  • Lumber Carrier Operator
  • Larry Operator
  • Tow Driver
  • Cat Operator
  • Unloader Operator

What Kind of Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator Job Opportunities Are There?

In the United States, there were 549,900 jobs for Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator in 2016. 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. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 65,900 job openings in this field each year.

undefined

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.

Average Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Salary

Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators make between $24,910 and $51,620 a year.

undefined

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

Tools & Technologies Used by Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators:

  • 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.

undefined

What work experience do I need to become an Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator?

undefined

Where Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Are Employed

undefined

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

undefined

Similar Careers

Those interested in being an Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator may also be interested in:

Those who work as an Industrial Truck or Tractor Operator sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:

References:

Image Credit: via

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.