Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators

What the job really is

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

At a glance

• Sector: Transportation & Material Moving
• O*NET-SOC code: 53-7051
• O*NET job zone: 2 — some preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 9
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• 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.
• Weigh materials or products and record weight or other production data on tags or labels.
• 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.
• Turn valves and open chutes to dump, spray, or release materials from dump cars or storage bins into hoppers.

Tools and technology

Autodesk AutoCAD, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, SAP software, Warehouse management system WMS, ATMS StockTrack PLUS, Argos Software ABECAS Insight WMS, Banding equipment, BarControl Enterprise Manager iBEM, Belt conveyors

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Hoist and Winch Operators
• Crane and Tower Operators
• Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
• Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining
• Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
• Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
• Pile Driver Operators
• Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 2 (some preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.