Freight and Cargo Inspectors

Career Description: Inspect the handling, storage, and stowing of freight and cargoes.

Industry: Transportation and Material Moving

Other Job Titles for Freight and Cargo Inspectors:

• Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
• Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
• Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
• Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
• First Interest High-Point: Primary-Rank Descriptiveness
• Second Interest High-Point: Secondary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
• Third Interest High-Point: Tertiary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness

• Prepare and submit reports after completion of freight shipments.
• Inspect shipments to ensure that freight is securely braced and blocked.
• Record details about freight conditions, handling of freight, and any problems encountered.
• Advise crews in techniques of stowing dangerous and heavy cargo.
• Observe loading of freight to ensure that crews comply with procedures.
• Recommend remedial procedures to correct any violations found during inspections.
• Inspect loaded cargo, cargo lashed to decks or in storage facilities, and cargo handling devices to determine compliance with health and safety regulations and need for maintenance.
• Measure ships' holds and depths of fuel and water in tanks, using sounding lines and tape measures.
• Notify workers of any special treatment required for shipments.
• Direct crews to reload freight or to insert additional bracing or packing as necessary.
• Check temperatures and humidities of shipping and storage areas to ensure that they are at appropriate levels to protect cargo.
• Determine cargo transportation capabilities by reading documents that set forth cargo loading and securing procedures, capacities, and stability factors.
• Read draft markings to determine depths of vessels in water.
• Issue certificates of compliance for vessels without violations.
• Write certificates of admeasurement that list details such as designs, lengths, depths, and breadths of vessels, and methods of propulsion.
• Calculate gross and net tonnage, hold capacities, volumes of stored fuel and water, cargo weights, and ship stability factors, using mathematical formulas.
• Post warning signs on vehicles containing explosives or flammable or radioactive materials.
• Measure heights and widths of loads to ensure they will pass over bridges or through tunnels on scheduled routes.
• Time rolls of ships, using stopwatches.
• Determine types of licenses and safety equipment required, and compute applicable fees such as tolls and wharfage fees.
• Assist workers in tasks such as coupling railroad cars or loading vehicles.
• Drive vehicles or operate machines or equipment to complete work assignments or to assist workers.
• Inventory supplies, and requisition or purchase additional items as necessary.
• Plan and formulate flight activities and test schedules and prepare flight evaluation reports.
• Pilot airplanes or helicopters over farmlands at low altitudes to dust or spray fields with fertilizers, fungicides, or pesticides.
• Check the flight performance of new and experimental planes.

Emerging Tasks

• Visually inspect cargo for damage upon arrival or discharge.
• Collect tickets or cash fares from passengers.
• Drive vehicles over specified routes or to specified destinations according to time schedules, complying with traffic regulations to ensure that passengers have a smooth and safe ride.
• Handle passenger emergencies and disruptions.
• Maintain cleanliness of bus or motor coach.
• Record information, such as cash receipts and ticket fares, and maintain log book.

• Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment: Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources: Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Performing General Physical Activities: Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• Provide Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
• Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment: Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Staffing Organizational Units: Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
• Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Detailed Work Activities

• communicate technical information
• conduct training for personnel
• determine loaded cargo complies with regulations or specifications
• evaluate equipment for compliance with standards
• gather physical evidence
• inspect facilities or equipment for regulatory compliance
• inspect products or systems for regulatory compliance
• maintain records, reports, or files
• observe loading of freight to ensure crew compliance with procedures
• perform safety inspections in transportation setting
• perform varied measurements
• prepare reports
• prepare safety reports
• read blueprints
• read specifications
• read tape measure
• recognize public safety hazards
• recommend action to ensure compliance
• understand measuring devices
• understand technical operating, service or repair manuals
• use freight shipping or storage procedures
• use hazardous materials information
• use knowledge of investigation techniques
• use oral or written communication techniques
• use weighing or measuring devices in transportation
• verify investigative information
• maintain records, reports, or files
• monitor worker performance
• operate material moving, loading, or unloading equipment
• orient new employees
• oversee work progress to verify safety or conformance to standards
• perform safety inspections in transportation setting
• plan or organize work
• prepare or maintain employee records
• prepare reports
• read maps
• read work order, instructions, formulas, or processing charts
• recommend improvements to work methods or procedures
• recommend personnel actions, such as promotions, transfers, and dismissals
• recommend purchase or repair of furnishings or equipment
• requisition stock, materials, supplies or equipment
• resolve or assist workers to resolve work problems
• resolve personnel problems or grievances
• review schedules to obtain cargo loading information
• route freight shipments
• schedule activities, classes, or events
• schedule employee work hours
• use two-way radio or mobile phone
• use weighing or measuring devices in transportation

Overall Experience
A minimum of two to four years of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Education
Most of these occupations require a four - year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Examples
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include accountants, human resource managers, computer programmers, teachers, chemists, and police detectives.

• n/a

• Projected growth (2006-2016): 16.45%
• Projected need (2006-2016): 4,342
• Employment (2006): 26,400

• Immigration and Customs Inspectors
• Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
• Police Identification and Records Officers
• Shipping, Receiving, and Traffic Clerks
• Traffic Technicians
• Postmasters and Mail Superintendents
• Storage and Distribution Managers
• Transportation Managers
• Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation
• Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products