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.
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. The role reports a median annual salary of $58,070 in the US and is projected to grow 4% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a No formal educational credential, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.52 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Reading Comprehension, Time Management, Monitoring.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £27,832 a year for Warehouse operatives (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £24,447 to £33,151 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 9252). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Elementary occupations” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Tank car, truck, and ship loaders, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 9. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Transportation
- Production and Processing
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Mechanical
- Education and Training
- Computers and Electronics
- Administrative
What you'd actually do
- 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Tank car, truck, and ship loaders do?
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.
How much does Tank car, truck, and ship loaders earn?
The median annual salary for Tank car, truck, and ship loaders in the US is $58,070.
What is the job outlook for Tank car, truck, and ship loaders?
The role is projected to grow 4% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 12,000 workers.
How do I become tank car, truck, and ship loaders?
The typical entry education is a No formal educational credential. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Tank car, truck, and ship loaders need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Reading Comprehension, Time Management, Monitoring, Active Listening. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Tank car, truck, and ship loaders?
Our AI-durability model gives Tank car, truck, and ship loaders a score of 0.52 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Tank car, truck, and ship loaders has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.