Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
What Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders Do
Load and unload chemicals and bulk solids, such as coal, sand, and grain, into or from tank cars, trucks, or ships, using material moving equipment. May perform a variety of other tasks relating to shipment of products. May gauge or sample shipping tanks and test them for leaks.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 6.6%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Transportationimportance 3.5/5
- Production and Processingimportance 3.3/5
- English Languageimportance 3.3/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.1/5
- Mechanicalimportance 2.9/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 2.5/5
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 2.5/5
- Administrativeimportance 2.4/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.9/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.8/5
- Consequence of Error4.7/5
- Exposed to Contaminants4.7/5
- Exposed to Hazardous Conditions4.7/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals95% skill match
- Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels94% skill match
- Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation94% skill match
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders94% skill match
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers94% skill match
- Tree Trimmers and Pruners93% skill match
- Sailors and Marine Oilers93% skill match
- Dredge Operators93% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.8/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.8/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5
- Coordinationimportance 2.9/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 2.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.9/5
- Management of Personnel Resourcesimportance 2.9/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
In-Demand Technologies
Other Software Used
- CompuWeigh GMS
- Distributed control system DCS
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Cautiousness
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Stress Tolerance
- Self-Control
- Perseverance
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- EnterprisingLow
- ArtisticLow
- SocialLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where tank car, truck, and ship loaders make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA10.89× national avg
- 2Billings, MT7.34× national avg
- 3Charleston, WV7.18× national avg
- 4New Orleans-Metairie, LA6.89× national avg
- 5Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN4.69× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead PumpersLateral Move
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, HandLateral Move
- Hoist and Winch OperatorsLateral Move
- Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station OperatorsLateral Move
See the full career path from Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders →