Careers > Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators

Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators

$41.23K Median Salary 75K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 7.7% Job Growth

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About This Career

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

Reported Job Titles

Checker Loader, Fork Lift Technician, Fork Truck Driver, Forklift Driver, Forklift Operator, Lift Truck Operator, Shag Truck Driver, Spotter Driver, Tow Motor Operator, Truck Driver

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Skills You'll Need

Click on skills to find related courses.

Abilities

Control Precision

Multilimb Coordination

Far Vision

Response Orientation

Manual Dexterity

Rate Control

Depth Perception

Problem Sensitivity

Reaction Time

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Auditory Attention

Deductive Reasoning

Information Ordering

Near Vision

Perceptual Speed

Selective Attention

Spatial Orientation

Static Strength

Trunk Strength

Visualization

Finger Dexterity

Oral Comprehension

Oral Expression

Peripheral Vision

Knowledge

Mathematics

Skills

Operation and Control

Operations Monitoring

Coordination

Equipment Maintenance

Time Management

Troubleshooting

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software

Inventory management software

Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software

Electronic mail software

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Office suite software

Word processing software

Computer aided design CAD software

Tools

Forklifts

Forklift or elevator accessories or supplies

Cargo handling equipment

Lifts

Cargo trucks

Platform lift

Wrapping machinery

Bulk transporters

Hoists

Dock ramps

Hand trucks or accessories

Non temperature controlled tanker trailers

Telescoping boom lift

Manlift or personnel lift

Lifting hooks

Conventional truck cranes

Industrial shrink wrap equipment

Thin client computers

Dock plates

Snowplow attachments

Grapples

Swivel hooks

Flatbed trailers

Jacks

Belt conveyors

Dollies

Pallet trucks

Personal computers

Wheel chocks

Abilities

Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Response Orientation: The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
Depth Perception: The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Spatial Orientation: The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Peripheral Vision: The ability to see objects or movement of objects to one's side when the eyes are looking ahead.

Knowledge

Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Skills

Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operations 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.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Inventory management software: Assisi Software Assisi Inventory
Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software: Production scheduling software
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne; Oracle PeopleSoft; Oracle PeopleSoft Financials; SAP software
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD; Autodesk Revit

Tools

Forklifts:
Forklift or elevator accessories or supplies: Crane attachments
Cargo handling equipment: Container reach stackers; Container top handlers; Reach stackers; Straddle carriers
Lifts: Power lifts
Cargo trucks: Logging trucks
Platform lift: Personnel and burden carriers; Platform lift trucks
Wrapping machinery: High speed wrapping machines
Bulk transporters: Bulk liquid trucks
Hoists: Hoisting equipment
Dock ramps: Dockboards
Hand trucks or accessories: Handcarts
Non temperature controlled tanker trailers: Tank trailers
Telescoping boom lift: Telescopic forklifts
Manlift or personnel lift: Manlift buckets
Lifting hooks: Cargo hooks
Conventional truck cranes: Forwarder cranes
Industrial shrink wrap equipment: Shrink wrappers
Thin client computers: On-board computers for sending/receiving instructions
Dock plates: Bridgeplates
Snowplow attachments: Snowplows
Grapples: Timber tongs
Swivel hooks:
Flatbed trailers: Utility trailers
Jacks: Hydraulic jacks
Belt conveyors: Conveyer belt systems
Dollies: Equipment dollies
Pallet trucks: Pallet jacks
Personal computers:
Wheel chocks: