Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators

Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

O*NET-SOC code: 53-7051.00

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

Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Low· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery high
Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
Source dataset (XLSX download)
Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745
Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
Source dataset (CSV download)
Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.20
0.09Range of values carried here0.70
Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
Source dataset (PDF download)

What kind of figure this source publishes

The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.

Task-level exposure

Exposed tasks only

11 rated tasks · 1 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (9.1%)

β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.

Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
2 rated tasks are not in the O*NET 31.0 task list; their scores are kept as published for O*NET 27.2.

Source: OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
Release: gh-main-0471612
License: MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI

Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime.

Task (O*NET 27.2)	βE1 + 0.5 × E2
Weigh materials or products and record weight or other production data on tags or labels. O*NET Task ID 3206	0.5
Move controls to drive gasoline- or electric-powered trucks, cars, or tractors and transport materials between loading, processing, and storage areas. O*NET Task ID 3201	0.0
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. O*NET Task ID 3202	0.0
Position lifting devices under, over, or around loaded pallets, skids, or boxes and secure material or products for transport to designated areas. O*NET Task ID 3203	0.0
Perform routine maintenance on vehicles or auxiliary equipment, such as cleaning, lubricating, recharging batteries, fueling, or replacing liquefied-gas tank. O*NET Task ID 3205	0.0
Operate or tend automatic stacking, loading, packaging, or cutting machines. O*NET Task ID 3207	0.0
Signal workers to discharge, dump, or level materials. O*NET Task ID 3208	0.0
Hook tow trucks to trailer hitches and fasten attachments, such as graders, plows, rollers, or winch cables to tractors, using hitchpins. O*NET Task ID 3209	0.0
Turn valves and open chutes to dump, spray, or release materials from dump cars or storage bins into hoppers. O*NET Task ID 3210	0.0
Inspect product load for accuracy and safely move it around the warehouse or facility to ensure timely and complete delivery. O*NET Task ID 15265	0.0
Manually or mechanically load or unload materials from pallets, skids, platforms, cars, lifting devices, or other transport vehicles. O*NET Task ID 15266	0.0

β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.

Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page

All O*NET 31.0 task statements (9)

All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.

Task (O*NET 31.0)	Type
Move controls to drive gasoline- or electric-powered trucks, cars, or tractors and transport materials between loading, processing, and storage areas.	Core
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.	Core
Position lifting devices under, over, or around loaded pallets, skids, or boxes and secure material or products for transport to designated areas.	Core
Inspect product load for accuracy and safely move it around the warehouse or facility to ensure timely and complete delivery.	Core
Manually or mechanically load or unload materials from pallets, skids, platforms, cars, lifting devices, or other transport vehicles.	Core
Perform routine maintenance on vehicles or auxiliary equipment, such as cleaning, lubricating, recharging batteries, fueling, or replacing liquefied-gas tank.	Supplemental
Weigh materials or products and record weight or other production data on tags or labels.	Supplemental
Operate or tend automatic stacking, loading, packaging, or cutting machines.	Supplemental
Turn valves and open chutes to dump, spray, or release materials from dump cars or storage bins into hoppers.	Supplemental

Anthropic, "What work can robots do?"2026-09

1.96/ 3· Robot exposure index

0 none3 unstructured settings

Scale, basis and source

Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time

Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks

Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.

Source dataset

The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.

Tier of each physical task

Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)

E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site

Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.

Task (O*NET 29.3)	Robot environment tier
Move controls to drive gasoline- or electric-powered trucks, cars, or tractors and transport materials between loading, processing, and storage areas.	E2 structured facilities
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.	E2 structured facilities
Position lifting devices under, over, or around loaded pallets, skids, or boxes and secure material or products for transport to designated areas.	E2 structured facilities
Inspect product load for accuracy and safely move it around the warehouse or facility to ensure timely and complete delivery.	E2 structured facilities
Manually or mechanically load or unload materials from pallets, skids, platforms, cars, lifting devices, or other transport vehicles.	E2 structured facilities
Perform routine maintenance on vehicles or auxiliary equipment, such as cleaning, lubricating, recharging batteries, fueling, or replacing liquefied-gas tank.	E2 structured facilities
Weigh materials or products and record weight or other production data on tags or labels.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Operate or tend automatic stacking, loading, packaging, or cutting machines.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Turn valves and open chutes to dump, spray, or release materials from dump cars or storage bins into hoppers.	E2 structured facilities

Employment outlook (BLS)

Employment, 2025: 765K
Projected employment, 2035: 776K
Change (2025–35): +1.5%
Median annual wage, 2025: $46,420
Typical education needed for entry: No formal educational credential

lowest $30,890median wage across 825 detailed occupations, BLS EP 2025–35highest $559,030

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — Employment by detailed occupation, 2025 and projected 2035

Korea classification links (KSCO)

Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.

KSCO code	KSCO title	Relation	Status
87304	지게차 운전원	Same scope	confirmed

Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)

ILO occupational description

AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.

ISCO-08 8344Lifting Truck Operators

The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.

Lifting-truck operators drive, operate and monitor lifting trucks or similar vehicles to transport, lift and stack pallets with goods.

Tasks

(a) operating and monitoring lifting truck and similar equipment to load and unload, transport, lift and stack goods and pallets in terminals, harbours, warehouses, factories and other establishments;
(b) positioning lifting devices under, over, or around loaded pallets, skids and boxes, and securing material or products for transport to designated areas;
(c) inspecting equipment to identify wear and damage;
(d) performing routine maintenance on vehicles and equipment;
(e) keeping records of work undertaken and breakdowns of vehicles.

Example occupations

Forklift truck driver

Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits

ESCO occupational vocabulary

Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.

forklift operatorESCO 8344.1This occupation is broader
Forklift operators are responsible for operating forklifts to move, locate, relocate, stack, and count merchandise. They are accountable for the safe and efﬁcient operation of forklifts. Moreover, they perform the filling of orders and check the accuracy of other orders.
cargo vehicle driverESCO 8332.2Overlapping, not the same
Cargo vehicle drivers operate vehicles such as trucks and vans. They may also take care of the loading and unloading of cargo.
moving truck driverESCO 8332.7Overlapping, not the same
Moving truck drivers operate lorries or trucks intended for relocating and transporting goods, belongings, machinery, and others. They assist in placing goods in the truck for efficient use of space and security compliance.

Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)

License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)

View original

ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.

France classification links (ROME)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.

ROME code	ROME title (French)	Relation
N1101	Cariste	Same scopeprovisional
N1114	Conducteur / Conductrice d'engins lourds de manutention	Related, not a matchprovisional

Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.

ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)

Spain classification links (CNO-11)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.

CNO-11 code	CNO-11 title (Spanish)	Relation
8333	Operadores de carretillas elevadoras	Same scopeprovisional

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)

Germany classification links (KldB)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.

KldB code	KldB title (German)	Relation
52531	Kranführer/innen, Aufzugsmaschinisten und Bediener/innen verwandter Hebeeinrichtungen - Helfer-/Anlerntätigkeiten	Same scopeprovisional

Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)

Japan classification links (JSCO)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.

JSCO code	JSCO title (Japanese)	Relation
639	他に分類されない輸送従事者	This occupation is narrowerprovisional

Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)

Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources