National
| Median wages (2008) |
$13.98 hourly, $29,070 annual |
| Employment (2006) |
637,000 employees |
| Projected growth (2006-2016) |
Little or no change (-2% to 2%)
|
| Projected need (2006-2016) |
161,000 additional employees |
53-7051.00 - Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
Operate industrial trucks or tractors equipped to move materials around a warehouse, storage yard, factory, construction site, or similar location.
Sample of reported job titles:
Forklift Operator, Material Handler, Fork Lift Operator, Truck Driver, Fork Truck Driver, Lift Truck Operator, Forklift Driver, Fork Lift Technician, Spotter Driver, Fork Lift Driver
Tasks
- Inspect product load for accuracy, and safely move it around the warehouse or facility to ensure timely and complete delivery.
- Move controls to drive gasoline- or electric-powered trucks, cars, or tractors and transport materials between loading, processing, and storage areas.
- Move levers and controls that operate lifting devices, such as forklifts, lift beams and swivel-hooks, hoists, and elevating platforms, to load, unload, transport, and stack material.
- Position lifting devices under, over, or around loaded pallets, skids, and boxes, and secure material or products for transport to designated areas.
- Manually or mechanically load and unload materials from pallets, skids, platforms, cars, lifting devices, or other transport vehicles.
- Perform routine maintenance on vehicles and auxiliary equipment, such as cleaning, lubricating, recharging batteries, fueling, or replacing liquefied-gas tank.
- Weigh materials or products, and record weight and other production data on tags or labels.
- 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.
- Signal workers to discharge, dump, or level materials.
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Tools & Technology
Tools used in this occupation:
| Cargo handling equipment — Container reach stackers; Container top handlers; Reach stackers; Straddle carriers |
| Cargo trucks — Hustlers; Top loaders |
| Forklift or elevator accessories or supplies — Booms; Crane attachments; Scoops; Shovel attachments |
| Forklifts — Cantilever trucks; Lift trucks; Sliding boom forklifts; Straight-mast forklifts |
| Lifts — Combination vacuum lifts; Counterbalanced front/side loader lift trucks; Reach type outrigger trucks; Rider trucks |
| Manlift or personnel lift — High-lift order picker trucks; Reach rider trucks |
| Platform lift — Personnel and burden carriers; Platform lift trucks |
| Wrapping machinery — Banding equipment; Shrink-wrapping equipment |
Technology used in this occupation:
| Inventory management software — Argos Software ABECAS Insight WMS; ATMS StockTrack PLUS; RedPrairie DLx Warehouse; SAP warehouse management software |
| Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software — Aldata G.O.L.D. software; SSA Global Supply Chain Management |
