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Transport & Logistics · Updated Aug 2026

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.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
AI Exposure
37/100
Low

How much of this occupation’s work can be materially affected by current AI systems.

Replacement Risk
34/100
Low

How likely exposure is to translate into reduced human demand.

Includes provisional estimates for AI adoption pressure and labour-market resilience. How this is measured

Evidence quality
Confidence82/100
Task coverage87%

Confidence reflects task coverage, mapping and capability-evidence quality, and how much of the score rests on provisional inputs.

Task-level evidence

What is driving the score?

Occupation scores are built from the task mix—not a single prediction about a job title.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
TaskImportanceAI impactExposure
Verify tank car, barge, or truck load numbers to ensure car placement accuracy based on written or verbal instructions.High
66
Start pumps and adjust valves or cables to regulate the flow of products to vessels, using knowledge of loading procedures.High
66
Record operating data such as products and quantities pumped, gauge readings, and operating times, manually or using computers.High
65
Operate ship loading and unloading equipment, conveyors, hoists, and other specialized material handling equipment such as railroad tank car unloading equipment.High
60
Lower gauge rods into tanks or read meters to verify contents, temperatures, and volumes of liquid loads.Medium
66
Perform general warehouse activities, such as opening containers and crates, filling warehouse orders, assisting in taking inventory, and weighing and checking materials.Medium
66
Unload cars containing liquids by connecting hoses to outlet plugs and pumping compressed air into cars to force liquids into storage tanks.High
66
Observe positions of cars passing loading spouts, and swing spouts into the correct positions at the appropriate times.High
29
Test samples for specific gravity, using hydrometers, or send samples to laboratories for testing.High
30
Monitor product movement to and from storage tanks, coordinating activities with other workers to ensure constant product flow.High
20
Check conditions and weights of vessels to ensure cleanliness and compliance with loading procedures.High
17
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.High
19
Operate conveyors and equipment to transfer grain or other materials from transportation vehicles.Medium
20
Test vessels for leaks, damage, and defects, and repair or replace defective parts as necessary.High
15
Connect ground cables to carry off static electricity when unloading tanker cars.High
15
Remove and replace tank car dome caps, or direct other workers in their removal and replacement.High
14
Clean interiors of tank cars or tank trucks, using mechanical spray nozzles.High
16
Most exposed

Where AI can do more

Routine, digitized, and highly repeatable tasks face the greatest pressure.

  1. Verify tank car, barge, or truck load numbers to ensure car placement accuracy based on written or verbal instructions.66
  2. Start pumps and adjust valves or cables to regulate the flow of products to vessels, using knowledge of loading procedures.66
  3. Lower gauge rods into tanks or read meters to verify contents, temperatures, and volumes of liquid loads.66
  4. Perform general warehouse activities, such as opening containers and crates, filling warehouse orders, assisting in taking inventory, and weighing and checking materials.66
Hardest to automate

Where people still matter

These tasks score lowest on automation feasibility—physical presence, judgement, accountability and real-world variability all resist end-to-end automation.

  1. Connect ground cables to carry off static electricity when unloading tanker cars.01
  2. Remove and replace tank car dome caps, or direct other workers in their removal and replacement.02
  3. Test vessels for leaks, damage, and defects, and repair or replace defective parts as necessary.03
  4. 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.04
  5. Operate conveyors and equipment to transfer grain or other materials from transportation vehicles.05
Where else this work leads

Related occupations

Occupations O*NET links to this one. Relatedness reflects shared work, not a claim that these roles are safer.

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Beyond AI capability

Adoption and labour-market outlook

Structural factors are kept separate from raw capability so you can see what actually resists automation. Adoption pressure and labour-market resilience are still provisional models—25% of this occupation’s replacement-risk weight rests on them.

Human dependency71
Physical dependency73
Adoption pressure47
Labour-market resilience77
Methodology & sources

O*NET 30.3 occupational data interpreted through the JobsVsAI capability, automation and structural-constraint models.

Confidence82/100
CalculatedAug 21, 2026
Read methodology →