Transportation & Logistics
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
Also called: Load Out Person, Loader, Loader Operator, Loading Operator
US median pay
$58,870
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+2.8%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
1,300
12,800 employed
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
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.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Connect ground cables to carry off static electricity when unloading tanker cars.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Operations Monitoring3.8/5
- Operation and Control3.8/5
- Time Management3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.0/5
- Quality Control Analysis2.9/5
- Management of Personnel Resources2.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9/5
- Coordination2.9/5
Knowledge
- Transportation3.5/5
- Production and Processing3.3/5
- English Language3.3/5
- Public Safety and Security3.1/5
- Mechanical2.9/5
- Education and Training2.5/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): No formal educational credential.
Highest education of people in this job:
- High school diploma81%
- Less than high school12%
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.