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The differences between truck operators and lift truck operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a truck operator, becoming a lift truck operator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a truck operator has an average salary of $39,608, which is higher than the $36,973 average annual salary of a lift truck operator.
The top three skills for a truck operator include CDL, industrial cleaning and customer service. The most important skills for a lift truck operator are pallets, safety procedures, and load trailers.
| Truck Operator | Lift Truck Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $39,608 | $36,973 |
| Hourly rate | $19.04 | $17.78 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 667,980 | 103,337 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 53% |
| Average age | 48 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Truck Operators are individuals making a living by driving trucks and heavy goods vehicles such as articulated trucks, semi-trailers, and tankers. They are responsible for administering goods, loading and unloading into the truck, assessing the goods conditions, scheduling transport operations, arranging transport documentations, and inspecting vehicle conditions before starting work. Other duties include checking tires, fuel, oil filters, and oil levels. Truck Operators also supervise delivery operations, vehicle cleaning, tire maintenance, and refueling.
A forklift operator is responsible for lifting and transporting heavy equipment and industrial trucks. They are responsible for loading and unloading products and delivering them from factories or storage facilities to another place like warehouses. This person operates a forklift to ensure the safety and efficacy of the product, cargo, and machine equipment. Also, they need to identify damages, deficiencies, and shortages. An operator reports how the day-to-day operation goes, and their goal is to ensure that the shipment will go to the right place.
Truck operators and lift truck operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Truck Operator | Lift Truck Operator | |
| Average salary | $39,608 | $36,973 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $50,000 | Between $29,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | Saint Paul, MN | Springfield, OR |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Mars | Nestlé |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Finance |
There are a few differences between a truck operator and a lift truck operator in terms of educational background:
| Truck Operator | Lift Truck Operator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 47% | High School Diploma, 53% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between truck operators' and lift truck operators' demographics:
| Truck Operator | Lift Truck Operator | |
| Average age | 48 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8% | Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 3.9% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 16.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 2.4% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |