Home / Tasks / Operate vehicles or material-moving equipment
In 15 of the 18 jobs that do this, AI or robots already show up on it, most often as robots doing it. In the other 3, there's no evidence yet. Jobs spend a median of 36m of an 8-hour shift on it, and about 6.5 million U.S. workers hold these jobs.
Every job that does this
Each job words the task its own way. Minutes are that job's estimate for a typical shift; the label is the evidence for that job's version.
| Job and its version of the task | Per shift | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Driver/Sales WorkersDrive trucks to deliver such items as food, medical supplies, or newspapers. | 3h 56m | Robots |
| Light Truck DriversDrive vehicles with capacities under three tons to transport materials to and from specified destinations, such as railroad stations, plants, residences, offices, or within industrial yards. | 3h 14m | Robots |
| Utilities Meter ReadersWalk or drive vehicles along established routes to take readings of meter dials. | 2h 44m | Robots |
| Couriers and MessengersWalk, ride bicycles, drive vehicles, or use public conveyances to reach destinations to deliver messages or materials. | 2h 33m | Robots |
| Refuse and Recyclable Material CollectorsDrive trucks, following established routes, through residential streets or alleys or through business or industrial areas. | 2h 23m | Robots |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor OperatorsMove controls to drive gasoline- or electric-powered trucks, cars, or tractors and transport materials between loading, processing, and storage areas. | 2h 3m | Robots |
| Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground MiningDrive loaded shuttle cars to ramps and move controls to discharge loads into mine cars or onto conveyors. | 1h 49m | No evidence yet |
| Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine OperatorsMove containers of mail, using equipment, such as forklifts and automated "trains". | 46m | Robots |
| Tank Car, Truck, and Ship LoadersOperate industrial trucks, tractors, loaders, and other equipment to transport materials to and from transportation vehicles and loading docks, and to store and retrieve materials in warehouses. | 36m | Robots |
| First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle OperatorsDrive vehicles or operate machines or equipment to complete work assignments or to assist workers. | 32m | Robots |
| Entertainment and Recreation ManagersOperate, drive, or explain the use of mechanical equipment in amusement parks, cruise ships, or other recreational facilities. | 17m | Robots |
| School Bus MonitorsOpen and close school bus doors for students. | 13m | Robots |
| Cargo and Freight AgentsRoute received goods to first available flight or to appropriate storage areas or departments, using forklifts, hand trucks, or other equipment. | 12m | Robots |
| Recycling CoordinatorsOperate fork lifts, skid loaders, or trucks to move or store recyclable materials. | 12m | Robots |
| Postal Service Mail CarriersTravel to post offices to pick up the mail for routes or pick up mail from postal relay boxes. | 11m | Robots |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck DriversManeuver trucks into loading or unloading positions, following signals from loading crew and checking that vehicle and loading equipment are properly positioned. | 9m | Robots |
| Museum Technicians and ConservatorsDeliver artwork on courier trips. | 6m | No evidence yet |
| Public Safety TelecommunicatorsOperate and maintain mobile dispatch vehicles and equipment. | under 1m | No evidence yet |
How to read this
This task type comes from O*NET's detailed work activities, which link similar tasks across jobs. A label applies to one job's version of the task: AI use comes from real AI conversations (Anthropic Economic Index) and robot evidence from deployments in real workplaces. "No evidence yet" may just mean the task is rare in the data. How we keep time.
See all 250 shared tasks, or find any job on the big clock.