Truck unloader vs fork truck operator

The differences between truck unloaders and fork truck operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a truck unloader has an average salary of $32,543, which is higher than the $32,272 average annual salary of a fork truck operator.

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

Truck unloader vs fork truck operator overview

	Truck Unloader	Fork Truck Operator
Yearly salary	$32,543	$32,272
Hourly rate	$15.65	$15.52
Growth rate	6%	7%
Number of jobs	42,020	117,624
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 63%	High School Diploma, 51%
Average age	40	43
Years of experience	-	4

Truck unloader vs fork truck operator salary

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

	Truck Unloader	Fork Truck Operator
Average salary	$32,543	$32,272
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $40,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Portland, OR	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Oriental Trading	Seneca Foods
Best paying industry	Transportation	Finance

Differences between truck unloader and fork truck operator education

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

	Truck Unloader	Fork Truck Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 63%	High School Diploma, 51%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Truck unloader vs fork truck operator demographics

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

	Truck Unloader	Fork Truck Operator
Average age	40	43
Gender ratio	Male, 85.1% Female, 14.9%	Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.0% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	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	5%	4%

Differences between truck unloader and fork truck operator duties and responsibilities

Truck unloader example responsibilities.

Used jigs, torches, jacks, wedges, tumbuckles, hoists, cranes, drift pins, pry bars.
Stock floor according to current store map, utilize RF scanner for inventory database.
Replenish stock on floor and back-stock material (using RF device to record location).
Secure newly organize pallets utilizing shrink wrap.
Prepare pallets by following prescribe stacking arrangement and properly tagging pallets.
Volunteer work for kohl's cares events.

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 unloader vs fork truck operator skills

Common truck unloader skills

Electric Pallet Jack, 24%
Pallets, 19%
Sales Floor, 16%
Customer Service, 9%
Stock Shelves, 8%
Stock Merchandise, 7%

Common fork truck operator skills

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

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Transportation Industry
Truck Unloader
Truck Unloader vs Fork Truck Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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