Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
Transportation and Material Moving Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 53-7121.00
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.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Low· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.14
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Exposed tasks only19 rated tasks · 1 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (5.3%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Record operating data such as products and quantities pumped, gauge readings, and operating times, manually or using computers.O*NET Task ID 12796 | 1.0 |
Verify tank car, barge, or truck load numbers to ensure car placement accuracy based on written or verbal instructions.O*NET Task ID 12792 | 0.0 |
Observe positions of cars passing loading spouts, and swing spouts into the correct positions at the appropriate times.O*NET Task ID 12793 | 0.0 |
Operate ship loading and unloading equipment, conveyors, hoists, and other specialized material handling equipment such as railroad tank car unloading equipment.O*NET Task ID 12794 | 0.0 |
Monitor product movement to and from storage tanks, coordinating activities with other workers to ensure constant product flow.O*NET Task ID 12795 | 0.0 |
Check conditions and weights of vessels to ensure cleanliness and compliance with loading procedures.O*NET Task ID 12797 | 0.0 |
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.O*NET Task ID 12798 | 0.0 |
Connect ground cables to carry off static electricity when unloading tanker cars.O*NET Task ID 12799 | 0.0 |
Seal outlet valves on tank cars, barges, and trucks.O*NET Task ID 12800 | 0.0 |
Test samples for specific gravity, using hydrometers, or send samples to laboratories for testing.O*NET Task ID 12801 | 0.0 |
Remove and replace tank car dome caps, or direct other workers in their removal and replacement.O*NET Task ID 12802 | 0.0 |
Lower gauge rods into tanks or read meters to verify contents, temperatures, and volumes of liquid loads.O*NET Task ID 12803 | 0.0 |
Clean interiors of tank cars or tank trucks, using mechanical spray nozzles.O*NET Task ID 12804 | 0.0 |
Operate conveyors and equipment to transfer grain or other materials from transportation vehicles.O*NET Task ID 12805 | 0.0 |
Test vessels for leaks, damage, and defects, and repair or replace defective parts as necessary.O*NET Task ID 12806 | 0.0 |
Unload cars containing liquids by connecting hoses to outlet plugs and pumping compressed air into cars to force liquids into storage tanks.O*NET Task ID 12807 | 0.0 |
Copy and attach load specifications to loaded tanks.O*NET Task ID 12808 | 0.0 |
Start pumps and adjust valves or cables to regulate the flow of products to vessels, using knowledge of loading procedures.O*NET Task ID 12809 | 0.0 |
Perform general warehouse activities, such as opening containers and crates, filling warehouse orders, assisting in taking inventory, and weighing and checking materials.O*NET Task ID 12810 | 0.0 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (19)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Verify tank car, barge, or truck load numbers to ensure car placement accuracy based on written or verbal instructions. | Core |
| Observe positions of cars passing loading spouts, and swing spouts into the correct positions at the appropriate times. | Core |
| Operate ship loading and unloading equipment, conveyors, hoists, and other specialized material handling equipment such as railroad tank car unloading equipment. | Core |
| Monitor product movement to and from storage tanks, coordinating activities with other workers to ensure constant product flow. | Core |
| Record operating data such as products and quantities pumped, gauge readings, and operating times, manually or using computers. | Core |
| Check conditions and weights of vessels to ensure cleanliness and compliance with loading procedures. | Core |
| 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. | Core |
| Seal outlet valves on tank cars, barges, and trucks. | Core |
| Start pumps and adjust valves or cables to regulate the flow of products to vessels, using knowledge of loading procedures. | Core |
| Connect ground cables to carry off static electricity when unloading tanker cars. | Supplemental |
| Test samples for specific gravity, using hydrometers, or send samples to laboratories for testing. | Supplemental |
| Remove and replace tank car dome caps, or direct other workers in their removal and replacement. | Supplemental |
| Lower gauge rods into tanks or read meters to verify contents, temperatures, and volumes of liquid loads. | Supplemental |
| Clean interiors of tank cars or tank trucks, using mechanical spray nozzles. | Supplemental |
| Operate conveyors and equipment to transfer grain or other materials from transportation vehicles. | Supplemental |
| Test vessels for leaks, damage, and defects, and repair or replace defective parts as necessary. | Supplemental |
| Unload cars containing liquids by connecting hoses to outlet plugs and pumping compressed air into cars to force liquids into storage tanks. | Supplemental |
| Copy and attach load specifications to loaded tanks. | Supplemental |
| Perform general warehouse activities, such as opening containers and crates, filling warehouse orders, assisting in taking inventory, and weighing and checking materials. | Supplemental |
1.11/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Observe positions of cars passing loading spouts, and swing spouts into the correct positions at the appropriate times. | E2 structured facilities |
| Operate ship loading and unloading equipment, conveyors, hoists, and other specialized material handling equipment such as railroad tank car unloading equipment. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Check conditions and weights of vessels to ensure cleanliness and compliance with loading procedures. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| 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. | E2 structured facilities |
| Seal outlet valves on tank cars, barges, and trucks. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Start pumps and adjust valves or cables to regulate the flow of products to vessels, using knowledge of loading procedures. | E2 structured facilities |
| Connect ground cables to carry off static electricity when unloading tanker cars. | E2 structured facilities |
| Test samples for specific gravity, using hydrometers, or send samples to laboratories for testing. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Remove and replace tank car dome caps, or direct other workers in their removal and replacement. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Lower gauge rods into tanks or read meters to verify contents, temperatures, and volumes of liquid loads. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Clean interiors of tank cars or tank trucks, using mechanical spray nozzles. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Operate conveyors and equipment to transfer grain or other materials from transportation vehicles. | E2 structured facilities |
| Test vessels for leaks, damage, and defects, and repair or replace defective parts as necessary. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Unload cars containing liquids by connecting hoses to outlet plugs and pumping compressed air into cars to force liquids into storage tanks. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Copy and attach load specifications to loaded tanks. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Perform general warehouse activities, such as opening containers and crates, filling warehouse orders, assisting in taking inventory, and weighing and checking materials. | E2 structured facilities |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 13K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 13K
- Change (2025–35)
- +2.8%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $58,870
- Typical education needed for entry
- No formal educational credential
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 92111 | 하역 및 적재 관련 단순 종사원 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 9333Freight Handlers
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Freight handlers carry out tasks such as packing, carrying, loading and unloading furniture and other household items, or loading and unloading ship and aircraft cargoes and other freight, or carrying and stacking goods in various warehouses.
Tasks
- (a) packing office or household furniture, machines, appliances and related goods to be transported from one place to another;
- (b) carrying goods to be loaded on or unloaded from vans, trucks, wagons, ships or aircraft;
- (c) loading and unloading grain, coal, sand, baggage and other items by placing them on conveyor belts, pipes and other conveyances;
- (d) connecting hoses between main shore installation pipes and tanks of barges, tankers and other ships to load and unload petroleum, liquefied gases and other liquids;
- (e) carrying and stacking goods in warehouses and similar establishments;
- (f) sorting cargo prior to loading and unloading.
Example occupations
Baggage handler · Freight handler · Warehouse porter
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- petroleum pump system operatorESCO 3134.4This occupation is broader
Petroleum pump system operators tend pumps that keep the circulation of oil and derived products running smoothly. They monitor the flow within the pipes at a refinery and test the equipment to ensure minimum disruptions. Pump systems operators work from a highly automated control room, where they communicate with other workers to coordinate pump activities. Pump system operators undertake minor repairs and maintenance, and report as called for.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| H3307 | Agent / Agente de silo | Related, not a match |
| N3203 | Ouvrier / Ouvrière de manutention portuaire | Related, not a match |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 9811 | Peones del transporte de mercancías y descargadores | This occupation is narrower |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 51332 | Berufe im Güter- und Warenumschlag - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Overlapping, not the same |
| 41312 | Berufe in der Chemie- und Pharmatechnik - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
| 51311 | Berufe in der Lagerwirtschaft - Helfer-/Anlerntätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 644 | ポンプ・ブロワー・コンプレッサー運転従事者 | Related, not a match |
| 702 | 船内・沿岸荷役従事者 | Related, not a match |
| 703 | 陸上荷役・運搬従事者 | Related, not a match |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources