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.

AI Resistance Index 82 of 99

Among the most resilient careers: more resilient than 82% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is very low (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it low), and US jobs are projected to change by +1.5% by 2035, slower than average. The work leans on ethical judgement and physical dexterity.

AI struggles with much of this work. Hiring is expected to grow slower than average, or to shrink.

Median pay (2025): $46,420
Job growth to 2035: +1.5%
Openings a year: 64,700
People doing it (2025): 765,000
Usual route in: No formal credential, then short on-the-job training

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Where people already use AI for this work

Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment

From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).

Work AI rarely helps with

Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing
Operate lifting or moving equipment
Operate transportation equipment or vehicles

What the work looks like

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.

From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.

What the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects

Fewer of these jobs, as the industry adopts semi-autonomous construction equipment.
Fewer of these jobs, as the increased use of automated guided vehicles replaces these operators.

Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook

Transportation workers, all otherHuman edge, growing, Index 83, +4.0%
Automotive and watercraft service attendantsHuman edge, growing, Index 92, +3.8%
Aircraft service attendantsHuman edge, growing, Index 91, +5.6%
Tank car, truck, and ship loadersHuman edge, steady, Index 90, +2.8%

Also known as: Fork Truck Driver, Forklift Driver, Forklift Operator, Spotter Driver, Checker Loader, Fork Lift Technician, Lift Truck Operator, Shag Truck Driver.

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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.