How To Become A Lift Truck Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a lift truck operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Lift truck operators work in warehouses and operate vehicles that lift and place palettes of goods on shelves or plateaus of transport vehicles. They use these industrial trucks to load and unload materials, transport them within storage units, and arrange them in their locations according to warehouse regulations.

It will be your job to make sure shipments received are intact and in correct quantities. If this does not seem to be the case, you will have to report it to your manager. You will be responsible for keeping track of inventory records, and maintaining your vehicles in good condition will be your job as well.

You will need a CDL driver's license to operate a lift truck. Other than that, no former education will be required, beyond your GED. Working experience in a warehouse or a similar environment will be welcome, and being in good physical health is a must. This position will earn you an average salary of $35,279 per year.

ScoreLift Truck OperatorUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $36,973

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.3

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.82%

Asian 2.44%

Black or African American 16.56%

Hispanic or Latino 18.45%

Unknown 4.37%

White 57.36%

Gender

female 10.33%

male 89.67%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

8.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.8

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a lift truck operator

Explore lift truck operator education requirements

Most common lift truck operator degrees

High School Diploma

52.6 %

Associate

17.6 %

Diploma

12.8 %

Start to develop specific lift truck operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Pallets	18.05%
Safety Procedures	11.00%
Load Trailers	6.09%
AS400	4.87%
Electric Pallet Jack	4.52%

Complete relevant lift truck operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New lift truck operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a lift truck operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real lift truck operator resumes.

Research lift truck operator duties and responsibilities

Certify on stand up/sit down forks, clamps, slip sheets and cherry picker
Used WMS system to adjust inventory, either in, out, or amounts.
Perform trailer inspections, loading and unloading inventory, RFT scanner experience, WMS.
Relocate pallets from receiving dock to desire location within warehouse.

Prepare your lift truck operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your lift truck operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a lift truck operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable lift truck operator resume templates

Build a professional lift truck operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your lift truck operator resume.