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Occupation AtlasTransportation Inspectors

O*NET · 53-6051.00

Transportation Inspectors

Inspect equipment or goods in connection with the safe transport of cargo or people. Includes rail transportation inspectors, such as freight inspectors, rail inspectors, and other inspectors of transportation vehicles not elsewhere classified.

Also called Admeasurer · Bridge Inspector · Cargo Inspector · Cargo Surveyor · Container Inspector · Damaged Freight Inspector · Equipment Inspector · Freight Car Inspector
37 more

Freight Inspector · Freight Service Inspector · Freight Specialist · Heavy Check Inspector · Inspections Specialist · Inspector · Loading Inspector · Locomotive Inspector · Maintenance Inspector · Marine Cargo Broker · Marine Cargo Inspector · Marine Cargo Specialist · Marine Cargo Surveyor · Marine Surveyor · Motor Vehicle Emissions Inspector · Naval Inspector · Navy Material Inspector · Operations Inspector · Packing Inspector · Perishable Freight Inspector · Perishable Fruit Inspector · Petroleum Inspector · Railroad Car Inspector · Railroad Inspector · Roadway Inspector · Safety Inspector · School Bus Inspector · Ship Surveyor · Shipping Inspector · Shipping Liaison · State Inspector · Steamboat Inspector · Tank Inspector · Transit Vehicle Inspector · Transport Tech · Transportation Security Inspector · Transportation Technician (Transport Tech)

Job Zone 4 — Considerable Preparation NeededHolland code CRI35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Retail Loss Prevention Specialists

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 4: Considerable Preparation Needed

Considerable preparation. Usually a bachelor's degree plus several years of work-related experience, knowledge, or training.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

CRIConventional · Realistic · Investigative — the three strongest interests, in order

  • C Conventional6.17
  • R Realistic5.69
  • I Investigative2.91
  • E Enterprising2.64
  • S Social1.56
  • A Artistic1.00

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Reading Comprehensionbasic3.63.6Level 4 looks like: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
  • Critical Thinkingbasic3.63.5Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Speakingbasic3.63.5Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
  • Writingbasic3.63.5Level 4 looks like: Write an email to staff outlining new directives
  • Active Listeningbasic3.53.5Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
  • Monitoringbasic3.43.4Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
  • Time Management3.43.1Level 4 looks like: Allocate the time of subordinates to projects for the coming week
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.33.3Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a loan application for degree of risk
  • Complex Problem Solving3.13.3Level 4 looks like: Redesign a floor layout to take advantage of new manufacturing techniques
  • Coordination3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Work with others to put a new roof on a house
  • Social Perceptiveness3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Notice that customers are angry because they have been waiting too long
  • Systems Evaluation3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Determine why estimates for the time to complete a task are overly optimistic
Show the other 23
  • Systems Analysis2.92.8Level 2 looks like: Determine how loss of a team member will affect the completion of a job
  • Management of Personnel Resources2.83.0Level 2 looks like: Encourage a coworker who is having difficulty finishing a project
  • Active Learningbasic2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Think about the implications of a news article for job opportunities
  • Instructing2.82.6Level 2 looks like: Instruct a new employee in the use of a timekeeping system
  • Operations Monitoring2.82.6Level 2 looks like: Monitor completion times while running a computer program
  • Quality Control Analysis2.82.5Level 2 looks like: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)
  • Service Orientation2.62.9Level 2 looks like: Ask customers if they would like a cup of coffee
  • Learning Strategiesbasic2.62.6Level 2 looks like: Learn a different method of completing a task from a coworker
  • Mathematicsbasic2.62.6Level 2 looks like: Count the amount of change to be given to a customer
  • Persuasion2.62.6Level 2 looks like: Solicit donations for a charity
  • Negotiation2.52.4Level 2 looks like: Present justification to a manager for altering a work schedule
  • Troubleshooting2.51.8Level 2 looks like: Identify the source of a leak by looking under a machine
  • Operation and Control2.32.4Level 2 looks like: Navigate the settings on an office printer to print on both sides of the paper
  • Management of Material Resources2.11.9Level 2 looks like: Reserve a room for a management meeting
  • Management of Financial Resources2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Use available funds to buy office supplies and record the amount of the purchase
  • Technology Design1.80.8
  • Programming1.60.8
  • Sciencebasic1.40.5
  • Operations Analysis1.3—
  • Equipment Selection1.1—
  • Equipment Maintenance1.0—
  • Installation1.0—
  • Repairing1.0—

Tasks

12 core · 2 supplemental · 3 not yet rated

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Prepare and submit reports after completion of freight shipments.4.5
  2. Inspect shipments to ensure that freight is securely braced and blocked.4.5
  3. Record details about freight conditions, handling of freight, and any problems encountered.4.4
  4. Advise crews in techniques of stowing dangerous and heavy cargo.4.1
  5. Observe loading of freight to ensure that crews comply with procedures.4.1
  6. Recommend remedial procedures to correct any violations found during inspections.4.1
  7. 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.4.0
  8. Notify workers of any special treatment required for shipments.4.0
  9. Direct crews to reload freight or to insert additional bracing or packing as necessary.4.0
  10. Check temperatures and humidities of shipping and storage areas to ensure that they are at appropriate levels to protect cargo.3.9
  11. Determine cargo transportation capabilities by reading documents that set forth cargo loading and securing procedures, capacities, and stability factors.3.9
  12. Read draft markings to determine depths of vessels in water.3.8
Show the other 5
  1. Post warning signs on vehicles containing explosives or flammable or radioactive materials.4.1
  2. Measure heights and widths of loads to ensure they will pass over bridges or through tunnels on scheduled routes.4.0
  3. Calculate gross and net tonnage, hold capacities, volumes of stored fuel and water, cargo weights, and vessel stability factors, using mathematical formulas.
  4. Measure vessels' holds and depths of fuel and water in tanks, using sounding lines and tape measures.
  5. Visually inspect cargo for damage upon arrival or discharge.

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Transportation3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Drive a semi-truck through a busy city
  • English Language3.84.3Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Customer and Personal Service3.54.3Level 4 looks like: Be responsible for 10 children at daycare
  • Mathematics3.23.9Level 4 looks like: Analyze data to determine areas with the highest sales
  • Public Safety and Security3.23.8Level 4 looks like: Inspect a building site for safety violations
  • Administration and Management3.13.6Level 4 looks like: Monitor progress of a project to ensure timely completion
  • Law and Government3.03.0Level 4 looks like: Prepare documents and title papers for the purchase of a new house
  • Mechanical3.03.3Level 4 looks like: Replace a valve on a steam pipe
Show all 33
  • Engineering and Technology2.83.5Level 4 looks like: Design a custom office chair
  • Computers and Electronics2.73.4Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
  • Education and Training2.73.2Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
  • Telecommunications2.72.0Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Production and Processing2.63.0Level 4 looks like: Supervise an appliance assembly line
  • Administrative2.53.2Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
  • Chemistry2.42.4Level 1 looks like: Use a common household bug spray
  • Geography2.42.7
  • Sales and Marketing2.42.3Level 1 looks like: Sell cakes at a bake sale
  • Economics and Accounting2.32.2Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Physics2.32.9
  • Communications and Media2.22.1Level 1 looks like: Write a thank you note
  • Personnel and Human Resources2.22.4Level 1 looks like: Fill out a medical claim form
  • Design2.02.2Level 1 looks like: Draw a straight line 4 3/16 inches long
  • Building and Construction1.91.8Level 1 looks like: Choose the proper type of wood for adding a deck onto a house
  • Biology1.81.3Level 1 looks like: Feed domestic animals
  • Food Production1.71.6Level 1 looks like: Grow herbs in the kitchen
  • Foreign Language1.71.6Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • Psychology1.51.4Level 1 looks like: Monitor several children on a playground
  • Sociology and Anthropology1.4—
  • History and Archeology1.2—
  • Philosophy and Theology1.1—
  • Fine Arts1.0—
  • Medicine and Dentistry1.0—
  • Therapy and Counseling1.0—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Oral Comprehension3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Oral Expression3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Problem Sensitivity3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
  • Deductive Reasoning3.83.5Level 2 looks like: Know that a stalled car can coast downhill
  • Inductive Reasoning3.63.5Level 4 looks like: Determine the prime suspect based on crime scene evidence
  • Near Vision3.63.4Level 2 looks like: Read indicators on the dashboard of a car
  • Written Comprehension3.63.8Level 4 looks like: Understand an apartment lease
  • Written Expression3.63.6Level 4 looks like: Write a job recommendation for a subordinate
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  • Far Vision3.43.3Level 4 looks like: Read the slides on a presentation from across a room
  • Information Ordering3.43.4Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Speech Recognition3.43.5Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
  • Category Flexibility3.33.4Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Flexibility of Closure3.33.4Level 4 looks like: Look for a golf ball in tall grass
  • Speech Clarity3.33.1Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
  • Perceptual Speed3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Read five pressure indicators in 10 seconds to make sure each is within safe limits
  • Selective Attention3.12.9Level 2 looks like: Answer a business call with coworkers talking nearby
  • Visualization3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Fluency of Ideas2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Name four different uses for a screwdriver
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.92.9
  • Speed of Closure2.92.8Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Depth Perception2.82.4Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Number Facility2.82.8Level 3 looks like: Calculate a discounted price
  • Originality2.62.8Level 2 looks like: Use a credit card to open a locked door
  • Time Sharing2.62.5Level 2 looks like: Listen to music while entering numbers into a spreadsheet
  • Trunk Strength2.62.5Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Visual Color Discrimination2.62.5Level 1 looks like: Separate laundry into colors and whites
  • Auditory Attention2.52.1Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Spatial Orientation2.52.4Level 2 looks like: Use the floor plan to locate a store in a mall
  • Stamina2.51.6Level 1 looks like: Walk 1/4 mile
  • Hearing Sensitivity2.42.0Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Memorization2.42.6
  • Control Precision2.31.8Level 2 looks like: Adjust a room light with a dimmer switch
  • Extent Flexibility2.32.1Level 2 looks like: Reach to adjust the radio in a car
  • Multilimb Coordination2.32.0Level 2 looks like: Row a boat
  • Peripheral Vision2.31.9Level 2 looks like: Keep in step while marching in a band
  • Static Strength2.31.8Level 1 looks like: Push an empty shopping cart
  • Gross Body Coordination2.11.8Level 2 looks like: Get in and out of a truck
  • Gross Body Equilibrium2.11.8Level 2 looks like: Stand on a ladder
  • Reaction Time2.12.0Level 2 looks like: Start to slow down the car when a traffic light turns yellow
  • Wrist-Finger Speed2.11.8Level 2 looks like: Use a screwdriver to twist in a screw
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness2.01.9Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
  • Response Orientation2.02.1Level 2 looks like: When a doorbell and phone ring at the same time, quickly select which to answer first
  • Dynamic Strength1.91.5Level 2 looks like: Use pruning shears to trim a bush
  • Explosive Strength1.91.4Level 2 looks like: Hit a nail with a hammer
  • Glare Sensitivity1.91.6Level 2 looks like: Drive on a familiar road on a cloudy day
  • Rate Control1.91.4Level 1 looks like: Ride a bicycle alongside a jogger
  • Sound Localization1.91.5Level 2 looks like: Listen to a sound system to determine which speaker is working
  • Night Vision1.81.3Level 2 looks like: Read street signs at dusk (just after sunset)
  • Manual Dexterity1.60.8Level 1 looks like: Screw a light bulb into a light socket
  • Finger Dexterity1.40.5
  • Speed of Limb Movement1.1—
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.0—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Getting Information4.74.8Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.35.1Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards4.24.8Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials4.24.4Level 4 looks like: Inspect equipment in a chemical processing plant
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.14.8Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Documenting/Recording Information4.14.5Level 4 looks like: Document the results of a crime scene investigation
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.15.2Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings4.05.1Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
Show all 41
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information3.94.1Level 4 looks like: Estimate the time required to evacuate a city in the event of a major disaster
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work3.94.9Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge3.85.2Level 4 looks like: Keep current on changes in maintenance procedures for repairing sports cars
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization3.74.4Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others3.74.0Level 4 looks like: Interpret how foreign tax laws apply to U.S. exports
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People3.74.8Level 4 looks like: Determine the value of property lost in a fire
  • Performing General Physical Activities3.75.2Level 4 looks like: Paint the outside of a house
  • Processing Information3.74.9Level 4 looks like: Calculate the adjustments for insurance claims
  • Analyzing Data or Information3.64.4Level 4 looks like: Determine the interest cost to finance a new building
  • Scheduling Work and Activities3.63.5Level 4 looks like: Prepare the work schedule for salesclerks in a large retail store
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships3.44.2Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others3.23.3Level 4 looks like: Get two subordinates to agree about vacation schedules
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others3.13.0Level 4 looks like: Recommend a new software package to increase operational efficiency
  • Training and Teaching Others3.12.6
  • Working with Computers3.12.3Level 1 looks like: Enter employee information into a database
  • Thinking Creatively3.03.3Level 4 looks like: Adapt popular music for a high school marching band
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment2.92.5Level 1 looks like: Drive a car
  • Handling and Moving Objects2.52.8
  • Performing Administrative Activities2.52.9
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others2.42.6
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies2.41.9Level 1 looks like: Plan the holiday schedule for an airline workforce
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources2.42.1Level 1 looks like: Work as a server responsible for keeping track of utensils
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public2.42.4Level 1 looks like: Check tickets at a concert
  • Selling or Influencing Others2.42.2Level 1 looks like: Convince a coworker to assist with an assignment
  • Assisting and Caring for Others2.21.8Level 1 looks like: Help a coworker complete an assignment
  • Coaching and Developing Others2.22.2Level 1 looks like: Show a coworker how to operate a piece of equipment
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates2.22.0Level 1 looks like: Work occasionally as a backup supervisor
  • Developing and Building Teams2.11.7Level 1 looks like: Encourage two coworkers to stick with a tough assignment
  • Controlling Machines and Processes2.01.9Level 1 looks like: Operate a cash register
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment2.01.8Level 1 looks like: Use display settings to adjust a television picture
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment1.91.7Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment1.71.5Level 1 looks like: Make simple, external adjustments to a door hinge with ordinary hand tools
  • Staffing Organizational Units1.40.7Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that has minimal staffing requirements

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Telephone Conversations4.9
  • E-Mail4.6
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.6
  • Contact With Others4.5
  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.5
  • Freedom to Make Decisions4.4
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results4.4
  • Frequency of Decision Making4.2
  • Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.2
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.1

Technology

8 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

In demand (4)

  • Microsoft Excelhot
  • Microsoft Office softwarehot
  • Microsoft Outlookhot
  • Microsoft Wordhot

Hot (2; 4 more marked hot above)

  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Google Android
Other tools (2)
  • Email software
  • Web browser software

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation
  2. Aviation Inspectors
  3. Construction and Building Inspectors
  4. Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors
  5. Ship Engineers
  6. Cargo and Freight Agents
  7. First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators
  8. Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters
  9. Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
  10. Airfield Operations Specialists

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.