What Do Tank Car, Truck and Ship Loaders Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

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Job Description, Daily Responsibilities, and Work Life

Tank Car, Truck and Ship Loaders

Tank Car, Truck and Ship Loaders 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.

Salary
$50670
Becoming One
Easy
Education
No degree required
Job Satisfaction
Low
Job Growth
Low

Personality
Interest Match



Job Description

Job Description

Tank Car, Truck and Ship Loaders 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. They also seal outlet valves on tank cars, barges, and trucks.

Other tasks include:

  • Verify tank car, barge, or truck load numbers to ensure car placement accuracy based on written or verbal instructions.
  • Connect ground cables to carry off static electricity when unloading tanker cars.
  • Start pumps and adjust valves or cables to regulate the flow of products to vessels, using knowledge of loading procedures.
  • Check conditions and weights of vessels to ensure cleanliness and compliance with loading procedures.
  • Observe positions of cars passing loading spouts, and swing spouts into the correct positions at the appropriate times.
  • Monitor product movement to and from storage tanks, coordinating activities with other workers to ensure constant product flow.

We asked Tank Car, Truck and Ship Loaders how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

Job satisfaction

61%

How meaningful is this job

47%


61% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 47% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.



Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Tank Car, Truck and Ship Loaders monitor product movement to and from storage tanks, coordinating activities with other workers to ensure constant product flow. They record operating data such as products and quantities pumped, gauge readings, and operating times, manually or using computers.

A typical day for a Tank Car, Truck and Ship Loader will also include:

  • Test vessels for leaks, damage, and defects, and repair or replace defective parts as necessary.
  • 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.
  • Test samples for specific gravity, using hydrometers, or send samples to laboratories for testing.
  • Operate ship loading and unloading equipment, conveyors, hoists, and other specialized material handling equipment such as railroad tank car unloading equipment.
  • Start pumps and adjust valves or cables to regulate the flow of products to vessels, using knowledge of loading procedures.

We asked some Tank Car, Truck and Ship Loaders a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job? 70% said yes
How important is it to work in a team in this job? 85% said very important
Do you have group discussions everyday in this job? 90% said yes
Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job? 25% said yes
Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job? 29% said yes
Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job? 55% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Tank Car, Truck and Ship Loaders also clean interiors of tank cars or tank trucks, using mechanical spray nozzles. They may also test samples for specific gravity, using hydrometers, or send samples to laboratories for testing.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Tank Car, Truck and Ship Loaders Lower gauge rods into tanks or read meters to verify contents, temperatures, and volumes of liquid loads. They might also Perform general warehouse activities, such as opening containers and crates, filling warehouse orders, assisting in taking inventory, and weighing and checking materials.

In addition, they Unload cars containing liquids by connecting hoses to outlet plugs and pumping compressed air into cars to force liquids into storage tanks.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Copy and attach load specifications to loaded tanks.

To some Tank Car, Truck and Ship Loaders, it is also their responsibility to Remove and replace tank car dome caps, or direct other workers in their removal and replacement.


Working life

Working hours

More than 40 hours per week

Working schedule

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Tank Car, Truck and Ship Loader, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Do Tank Car, Truck and Ship Loaders work in an office-style work environment?

Never
51%


Every day
30%


Do Tank Car, Truck and Ship Loaders work outdoors?

Every day
84%


Once a week
11%



Is this right for me

Best personality for this career

The Builders and The Organizers

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

You can read more about these career personality types here.



Learn more about Tank Car, Truck and Ship Loaders

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Related to Tank Car, Truck and Ship Loaders Job Description

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Additional resources

http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes537121.htm


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