A speed change control system for an industrial vehicle includes: a speed ratio detecting unit that detects a speed ratio of speeds of an input shaft and of an output shaft of a torque converter; a torque converter speed ratio-based speed changer that shifts up or shifts down a speed stage of a transmission 3 in response to the detected speed ratio; a vehicle speed detection unit that detects a speed of the vehicle; a mode selection unit that selects any one of an L-mode and an H-mode; and a speed change control unit that permits an upshift provided that the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than a first predetermined value when the L-mode is selected whereas permits the upshift provided that the vehicle speed is higher than another predetermined value which is larger that the predetermined value when the H-mode is selected.