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Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders - 53-7121.00

O*NET-SOC Description

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.

Sample of Reported Job Titles

  • Loader
  • Loader Operator
  • PVC Loader (Polyvinyl Chloride Loader)
  • Warehouse Man
  • Load Out Person
  • Bulk Tank Car Unloader
  • Chemical Recovery Operator
  • Pumper
  • Shipper
  • Shipping and Receiving Operator

SOC Occupation Groups

53-0000 Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
53-7000 Material Moving Workers
53-7120 Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
53-7121.00 Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders

Related Occupations

Tasks

  • Check conditions and weights of vessels to ensure cleanliness and compliance with loading procedures.
  • Clean interiors of tank cars or tank trucks, using mechanical spray nozzles.
  • Connect ground cables to carry off static electricity when unloading tanker cars.
  • Copy and attach load specifications to loaded tanks.
  • Lower gauge rods into tanks or read meters, in order to verify contents, temperatures, and volumes of liquid loads.
  • Monitor product movement to and from storage tanks, coordinating activities with other workers to ensure constant product flow.
  • Observe positions of cars passing loading spouts, and swing spouts into the correct positions at the appropriate times.
  • Operate conveyors and equipment to transfer grain or other materials from transportation vehicles.
  • 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.
  • Operate ship loading and unloading equipment, conveyors, hoists, and other specialized material handling equipment such as railroad tank car unloading equipment.
  • Perform general warehouse activities, such as opening containers and crates, filling warehouse orders, assisting in taking inventory, and weighing and checking materials.
  • Record operating data such as products and quantities pumped, gauge readings, and operating times, manually or using computers.
  • Remove and replace tank car dome caps, or direct other workers in their removal and replacement.
  • Seal outlet valves on tank cars, barges, and trucks.
  • Start pumps and adjust valves or cables in order to regulate the flow of products to vessels, utilizing knowledge of loading procedures.
  • Test samples for specific gravity, using hydrometers, or send samples to laboratories for testing.
  • Test vessels for leaks, damage, and defects, and repair or replace defective parts as necessary.
  • Unload cars containing liquids by connecting hoses to outlet plugs and pumping compressed air into cars to force liquids into storage tanks.
  • Verify tank car, barge, or truck load numbers to ensure car placement accuracy based on written or verbal instructions.

Detailed Work Activities

  • adjust production equipment/machinery setup
  • attach or mark identification onto products or containers
  • collect samples for testing
  • confer with engineering, technical or manufacturing personnel
  • examine products or work to verify conformance to specifications
  • maintain production or work records
  • measure, weigh, or count products or materials
  • monitor production machinery/equipment operation to detect problems
  • operate cleaning equipment
  • operate gas, petroleum, or power distribution equipment
  • operate material moving, loading, or unloading equipment
  • operate mix or blending machine
  • operate petroleum pumping equipment
  • operate power driven pumps
  • perform safety inspections in transportation setting
  • test materials or solutions
  • use computers to enter, access or retrieve data
  • use hand or power tools
  • use two-way radio or mobile phone

Military Crosswalk Titles

No information available.

Apprenticeship Crosswalk Titles

  • Pumper-Gauger

DOT Crosswalk Titles

  • Loader I
  • Pumper-Gauger
  • Pumper-Gauger Apprentice