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Job Definition
View MovieOperate industrial trucks or tractors equipped to move materials around a warehouse, storage yard, factory, construction site, or similar location.
Job Zone

Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed

These occupations usually require a high school diploma and may require some vocational training or job-related course work. In some cases, an associate's or bachelor's degree could be needed.

Interests
Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Enterprising - Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Knowledge
Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Skills
Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Equipment Maintenance - Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Equipment Selection - Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Tasks
Turn valves and open chutes to dump, spray, or release materials from dump cars or storage bins into hoppers.
Weigh materials or products, and record weight and other production data on tags or labels.
Operate or tend automatic stacking, loading, packaging, or cutting machines.
Signal workers to discharge, dump, or level materials.
Hook tow trucks to trailer hitches and fasten attachments, such as graders, plows, rollers, and winch cables to tractors, using hitchpins.
Manually load or unload materials onto or off pallets, skids, platforms, cars, or lifting devices.
Perform routine maintenance on vehicles and auxiliary equipment, such as cleaning, lubricating, recharging batteries, fueling, or replacing liquefied-gas tank.
Move controls to drive gasoline- or electric-powered trucks, cars, or tractors and transport materials between loading, processing, and storage areas.
Move levers and controls that operate lifting devices, such as forklifts, lift beams and swivel-hooks, hoists, and elevating platforms, to load, unload, transport, and stack material.
Position lifting devices under, over, or around loaded pallets, skids, and boxes, and secure material or products for transport to designated areas.
Wages

In 2008, the California average annual wage was $34,650.00.

Most people employed in this occupation were paid between $21,020.00 and $51,780.00.

Outlook

During 2006, there were approximately 72,400 people employed in this field in California. It is projected that there will be 77,100 employed in 2016. This occupation will have about 470 openings due to growth and about 1,830 replacement openings for approximately 2,300 total annual openings. This occupation .

Colleges and Training
There are currently no programs listed for this occupation.
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