Truck loader vs fork truck operator

The differences between truck loaders and fork truck operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a truck loader has an average salary of $34,749, which is higher than the $32,272 average annual salary of a fork truck operator.

The top three skills for a truck loader include pallets, load trucks and electric pallet jack. The most important skills for a fork truck operator are pallets, safety procedures, and load trucks.

Truck loader vs fork truck operator overview

	Truck Loader	Fork Truck Operator
Yearly salary	$34,749	$32,272
Hourly rate	$16.71	$15.52
Growth rate	6%	7%
Number of jobs	100,059	117,624
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 60%	High School Diploma, 51%
Average age	41	43
Years of experience	-	4

Truck loader vs fork truck operator salary

Truck loaders and fork truck operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Truck Loader	Fork Truck Operator
Average salary	$34,749	$32,272
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $42,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Kemps	Seneca Foods
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Finance

Differences between truck loader and fork truck operator education

There are a few differences between a truck loader and a fork truck operator in terms of educational background:

	Truck Loader	Fork Truck Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 60%	High School Diploma, 51%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Truck loader vs fork truck operator demographics

Here are the differences between truck loaders' and fork truck operators' demographics:

	Truck Loader	Fork Truck Operator
Average age	41	43
Gender ratio	Male, 90.8% Female, 9.2%	Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 4.3% White, 64.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 1.9% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	3%	4%

Differences between truck loader and fork truck operator duties and responsibilities

Truck loader example responsibilities.

Prepare pallets by following prescribe stacking arrangement and properly tagging pallets.
Load designated items onto a pallet and bring selected items to their designate loading area
Move inventory in support of logistics management.

Fork truck operator example responsibilities.

Create and cataloge files for GMP library.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.
Perform specialized production line and quality control duties in a professional production environment specializing in plastic extrusion.

Truck loader vs fork truck operator skills

Common truck loader skills

Pallets, 20%
Load Trucks, 13%
Electric Pallet Jack, 9%
Customer Orders, 8%
Safety Standards, 8%
Hand Trucks, 7%

Common fork truck operator skills

Pallets, 19%
Safety Procedures, 10%
Load Trucks, 7%
Load Trailers, 6%
Pallet Jack, 6%
Assembly Line, 5%

Truck Loader vs. similar jobs

Truck Loader related careers

Truck Loader related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Transportation Industry
Truck Loader
Truck Loader vs Fork Truck Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse transportation jobs