Tugger operator vs fork truck operator

The differences between tugger operators and fork truck operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a tugger operator and a fork truck operator. Additionally, a tugger operator has an average salary of $32,478, which is higher than the $32,272 average annual salary of a fork truck operator.

The top three skills for a tugger operator include tuggers, OSHA and warehouse environment. The most important skills for a fork truck operator are pallets, safety procedures, and load trucks.

Tugger operator vs fork truck operator overview

	Tugger Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Yearly salary	$32,478	$32,272
Hourly rate	$15.61	$15.52
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	42,294	117,624
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 65%	High School Diploma, 51%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Tugger operator vs fork truck operator salary

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

	Tugger Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Average salary	$32,478	$32,272
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $37,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Findlay, OH	Grand Forks, ND
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	VisionCorp Rep	Seneca Foods
Best paying industry	Automotive	Finance

Differences between tugger operator and fork truck operator education

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

	Tugger Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 65%	High School Diploma, 51%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Tugger operator vs fork truck operator demographics

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

	Tugger Operator	Fork Truck Operator
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 77.3% Female, 22.7%	Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 17.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 2.3% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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	4%	4%

Differences between tugger operator and fork truck operator duties and responsibilities

Tugger operator example responsibilities.

Operate or tend hoists or winches to lift and pull loads using power-operate cable equipment.
Start engines of hoists or winches and used levers and pedals to wind or unwind cable on drums.
Pull dollies of materia safely to the line in a timely manner as to not shut down automotive industry line.
Deliver automotive parts to Toyota lineside
Operate heavy machinery such as bobcat equipment and also operate and pave asphalt perform demolition work.
Operate a tugger for storage and removal of car parts and supplies to be transport to the Mercedes-Benz plant.

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.

Tugger operator vs fork truck operator skills

Common tugger operator skills

Tuggers, 34%
OSHA, 26%
Warehouse Environment, 10%
Honda, 5%
Assembly Line, 5%
RF Scanner, 4%

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
Tugger Operator
Tugger Operator vs Fork Truck Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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