Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators

Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators score 3 out of 100, which is low exposure to AI. That ranks #853 of 923 US occupations, where #1 is the most exposed. Of the 11 tasks in this job, AI could speed up 0 on its own and 1 more with extra software built on top of it. None of its tasks showed up in real AI use in April–May 2026.

3/ 100

Low

Rank: #853of 923 jobs
US workers: 774,420BLS, May 2025
Median pay: $46,420a year
In real AI use: 0 of 11tasks, April–May 2026

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Task by task

Each task this job involves, as listed by O*NET, rated on whether a large language model like GPT-4 could cut the time it takes by at least half at the same quality. Tasks marked Seen in real AI use appeared in conversations with Claude in April–May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index).

AI can speed this up on its own: 0 (0%)
AI can speed this up with extra software: 1 (9%)
Little or no AI speed-up: 10 (91%)

Weigh materials or products and record weight or other production data on tags or labels.AI can speed this up with extra software · supplemental task
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.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Move controls to drive gasoline- or electric-powered trucks, cars, or tractors and transport materials between loading, processing, and storage areas.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Manually or mechanically load or unload materials from pallets, skids, platforms, cars, lifting devices, or other transport vehicles.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Position lifting devices under, over, or around loaded pallets, skids, or boxes and secure material or products for transport to designated areas.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Inspect product load for accuracy and safely move it around the warehouse or facility to ensure timely and complete delivery.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Signal workers to discharge, dump, or level materials.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Perform routine maintenance on vehicles or auxiliary equipment, such as cleaning, lubricating, recharging batteries, fueling, or replacing liquefied-gas tank.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Operate or tend automatic stacking, loading, packaging, or cutting machines.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Hook tow trucks to trailer hitches and fasten attachments, such as graders, plows, rollers, or winch cables to tractors, using hitchpins.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Turn valves and open chutes to dump, spray, or release materials from dump cars or storage bins into hoppers.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task

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Questions about industrial truck and tractor operators and AI

Will AI replace industrial truck and tractor operators?

Unlikely. Most of the work is hard for today's AI to speed up. Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators score 3 out of 100 (low exposure), #853 of 923 US jobs. AI could speed up 1 of the job's 11 tasks, 0 of them on its own, while 10 see little or no speed-up. Exposure means the work is likely to change, not that the job will disappear.

Which industrial truck and tractor operators tasks can AI do?

The most exposed tasks include "Weigh materials or products and record weight or other production data on tags or labels".

Which industrial truck and tractor operators tasks are hardest for AI?

Tasks with little or no AI speed-up include "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".

Are people already using AI for this work?

Not much yet. None of the job's tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude in April–May 2026, according to the Anthropic Economic Index.

How many people work as industrial truck and tractor operators, and what do they earn?

About 774,420 people in the US, with median pay of $46,420 a year (BLS, May 2025).

How to read this score. Exposure measures how much of the work AI could speed up, not whether the job will disappear. A highly exposed job can change shape, with people spending less time on routine tasks and more on the rest. The score counts tasks AI can speed up on its own in full, and tasks that need extra software at half weight.

The ratings come from published research based on GPT-4 (2023). To show what's happening now, each task is also checked against the latest Anthropic Economic Index, which records which tasks people actually use AI for. That data is refreshed automatically when Anthropic publishes a new release. Read the full method.