Occupation: 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.

53-7121.00 | 19 tasks | 10 job titles
Reported Job Titles (10)
  • Load Out Person
  • Loader
  • Loader Operator
  • Loading Operator
  • Oil Movements Operator
  • PVC Loader (Polyvinyl Chloride Loader)
  • Rail Car Loader
  • Tank Car Loader
  • Tankerman
  • Truck Loader
Core Tasks (9)
  • Seal outlet valves on tank cars, barges, and trucks.
  • Verify tank car, barge, or truck load numbers to ensure car placement accuracy based on written or verbal instructions.
  • 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.
  • Operate ship loading and unloading equipment, conveyors, hoists, and other specialized material handling equipment such as railroad tank car unloading equipment.
  • Record operating data such as products and quantities pumped, gauge readings, and operating times, manually or using computers.
  • 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.
Supplemental Tasks (10)
  • Connect ground cables to carry off static electricity when unloading tanker cars.
  • Copy and attach load specifications to loaded tanks.
  • Remove and replace tank car dome caps, or direct other workers in their removal and replacement.
  • 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.
  • Clean interiors of tank cars or tank trucks, using mechanical spray nozzles.
  • Lower gauge rods into tanks or read meters to verify contents, temperatures, and volumes of liquid loads.
  • Operate conveyors and equipment to transfer grain or other materials from transportation vehicles.
  • Perform general warehouse activities, such as opening containers and crates, filling warehouse orders, assisting in taking inventory, and weighing and checking materials.