Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
This occupation is part of the Transportation and Material Moving cluster
About the Job
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.
It is also Called
- Barge Loader
- Bulk Tank Car Unloader
- Caustics Loader
- Chemical Recovery Operator
- Coal Dumping Equipment Operator
- Dock Loader
- Load Out Person
- Loader
- Loader Operator
- Pumper
What They Do
- Verify tank car, barge, or truck load numbers to ensure car placement accuracy based on written or verbal instructions.
- Observe positions of cars passing loading spouts, and swing spouts into the correct positions at the appropriate times.
- Operate ship loading and unloading equipment, conveyors, hoists, and other specialized material handling equipment such as railroad tank car unloading equipment.
- Monitor product movement to and from storage tanks, coordinating activities with other workers to ensure constant product flow.
- Record operating data such as products and quantities pumped, gauge readings, and operating times, manually or using computers.
- Check conditions and weights of vessels to ensure cleanliness and compliance with loading procedures.
- Operate 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.
- Connect ground cables to carry off static electricity when unloading tanker cars.
- Seal outlet valves on tank cars, barges, and trucks.
- Test samples for specific gravity, using hydrometers, or send samples to laboratories for testing.
Interests
People who work in this occupation generally have the interest code: RC.
This means people who work in this occupation generally have Realistic interests, but also prefer Conventional environments.
Work Values
People who work in this occupation generally prize Support, but also value Independence and Relationships in their jobs.
Things They Need to Know
- Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
- Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
- Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Things They Need to Be Able to Do
- Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Education Required
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Wages
Budget From HereIn 2011, the average annual wage in California was n/a with most people making between n/a and n/a
Outlook
During 2008, this occupation employed approximately 1,900 people in California. It is projected that there will be 1,800 employed in 2018.
This occupation will have about 0 openings due to growth and about 60 replacement openings for approximately 60 total annual openings.
