Ship Loaders

Tasks and Duties

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

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