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.
About the profession
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 to Get Started
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Jump to Learning Path →Video
Occupation on screen: Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (O*NET 47-5022.00). The Department of Labor publishes one film per occupation family, and this is the film it lists for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders (53-7121.00), which is how Bulk Loader is classified. Closed captions in English and Spanish. CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration)
Personality Fit
Based on the Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders role, here are the RIASEC personality types that tend to thrive in this career. While these alignments are common, individual success depends on motivation, skill development, and finding the right work environment.
Enterprising
Leading, persuading, business
Social
Helping, teaching, working with people
Conventional
Organizing, detail-oriented, structured
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Career Path
Your career progression roadmap with salary growth at each level
Career Ladder
Trainee Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loader → Technician Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loader → Senior Technician Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loader → Lead Technician Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loader
Where are you on this career path?
Click a level below to set your current position
Salary Growth
4
Levels
$89K
Top Salary
8+
Years
Learning Path
Skills you need to develop and courses to get there
🚀
Set your current level first
Go to the Career Path tab and select your current level to see your personalized learning plan.
Go to Career PathCareer levels
Timeline: 0-2 | Entry Level Base: $38,850 - $51,340/year With equity/bonuses: $42,735 - $61,608 Top markets (SF/NYC): $44,678 - $61,608 Execute core tasks using Operations…
Skills used in this career
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Day in Life
Junior vs Senior, daily schedule breakdown
9am, Seal outlet valves on tank cars, barges, and trucks. 10am, Start pumps and adjust valves or cables to regulate the flow of products to vessels, using knowledge of loading…
Income Dynamics
Conservative and aggressive scenarios for 10–15 years
Year 1: Entry level $27,195 - $46,206 Year 2-3: Junior level $51,340 - $60,639 Year 4-6: Mid level $60,639 - $65,745 Year 7-10: Senior level $65,745 - $80,136 Year 10+:…
Is this for me?
15 questions, answer honestly
You find the craft of a Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loader genuinely interesting, not just a paycheck You enjoy working with Operations Monitoring and Operation and Control You…
💰 Pay for Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
BLS OEWS, May 2023The federal survey does not count this job title on its own — it is counted under Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders (53-7121).
Half of U.S. workers in this occupation earn more than this, half earn less.
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Related Reading
Related Holland / RIASEC Types