Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
Transportation and Material Moving · SOC 53-7121
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 53-7121 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 52/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $58,870
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 1,200
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +4.3%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 1,404 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →No H-1B certified LCA filings recorded for this occupation in FY2016–FY2025.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Load Out Person, Loader, Loader Operator, Loading Operator, Oil Movements Operator, PVC Loader (Polyvinyl Chloride Loader)
Representative Tasks
- •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.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Install parts, assemblies, or attachments in transportation or material handling equipment.
- •Verify information or specifications.
- •Connect cables or electrical lines.
- •Control pumps or pumping equipment.
- •Inspect cargo areas for cleanliness or condition.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Outlook | Average | 20% Bright |
| Median Salary | $58,870 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |