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.
Also called: Load Out Person · Loader · Loader Operator · Loading Operator · Oil Movements Operator · PVC Loader (Polyvinyl Chloride Loader)
Median pay (national)
$58,070
$38,260–$88,120 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
10,920
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+4.3%
~1,300 openings/yr
Typical entry
No formal educational credential
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for tank car, truck, and ship loaders shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $88,120 versus $38,260 at the bottom 10% — 2.3x. The median of $58,070 leaves roughly 52% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +4.3% from 2024 to 2034 — faster than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 1,300 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 35 states with released data, Alabama pays the most for this role (median $85,260, +47% vs the national median), while Arizona sits lowest at $35,110 — a 143% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Warehouse management system WMS as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Active Learning
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Seal outlet valves on tank cars, barges, and trucks.
- 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 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.
- Verify tank car, barge, or truck load numbers to ensure car placement accuracy based on written or verbal instructions.
- 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.
- Connect ground cables to carry off static electricity when unloading tanker cars.
Tools & technology
- Warehouse management system WMS
- Linux
- SAP software
- CompuWeigh GMS
- Distributed control system DCS
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
Knowledge areas
- Transportation
- Production and Processing
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Mechanical
- Education and Training
- Computers and Electronics
- Administrative