Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
Machines can already do 30% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 75%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 30% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2032, and 75% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 774,420 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $46,420 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 64% for contact with people.
- Also called: Checker Loader, Fork Lift Technician, Fork Truck Driver, Forklift Driver.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 31% | 30% to 75% | |
| Move controls to drive gasoline- or electric-powered trucks, cars, or tractors and transport materials between loading, processing, and storage areas | 26% | 30% to 75% | |
| Manually or mechanically load or unload materials from pallets, skids, platforms, cars, lifting devices, or other transport vehicles | 15% | 30% to 75% | |
| Position lifting devices under, over, or around loaded pallets, skids, or boxes and secure material or products for transport to designated areas | 10% | 30% to 75% | |
| Inspect product load for accuracy and safely move it around the warehouse or facility to ensure timely and complete delivery | 9% | 30% to 75% | |
| Perform routine maintenance on vehicles or auxiliary equipment, such as cleaning, lubricating, recharging batteries, fueling, or replacing liquefied-gas tank | 4% | 30% to 75% | |
| Weigh materials or products and record weight or other production data on tags or labels | 3% | 20% to 60% | |
| Operate or tend automatic stacking, loading, packaging, or cutting machines | 1% | 20% to 60% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills industrial truck and tractor operators use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Hoist and Winch Operators71% of tasks by 2035 · US median $56,450
- Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders60% of tasks by 2035 · US median $48,250
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining69% of tasks by 2035 · US median $57,430
- Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers65% of tasks by 2035 · US median $60,600
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2032. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of industrial truck and tractor operators?
Machines can do 30% of the tasks of industrial truck and tractor operators today and 75% by 2035. Most of the routine work moves to machines, and the people in the job move to oversight, judgement and client work.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 53-7051.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/industrial-truck-and-tractor-operators/