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.
Most important skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Time Management
- Judgment and Decision Making
Key knowledge
- Transportation
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mathematics
- Public Safety and Security
- Administration and Management
- Mechanical
- Law and Government
What the work involves
- Calculate gross and net tonnage, hold capacities, volumes of stored fuel and water, cargo weights, and vessel stability factors, using mathematical formulas.
- Measure vessels' holds and depths of fuel and water in tanks, using sounding lines and tape measures.
- Visually inspect cargo for damage upon arrival or discharge.
- 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.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Conventional, Realistic, Investigative.
Qualifications and licensing
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Transportation Inspectors: no education distribution in the dataset.
- Licensing for Transportation Inspectors is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Moderate | Higher on contact with others than 58% of occupations compared | — |
| Dealing with the public | High | Higher on dealing with the public than 61% of occupations compared | — |
| Teamwork | Very low | Lower on teamwork than 93% of occupations compared | — |
| Freedom to make decisions | High | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 77% of occupations compared | — |
| Time pressure | Moderate | Lower on time pressure than 56% of occupations compared | — |
| Conflict situations | Low | Lower on conflict situations than 66% of occupations compared | — |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Moderate | Higher on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 54% of occupations compared | — |
| Consequence of error | Moderate | Lower on consequence of error than 54% of occupations compared | — |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: moderate
- Conflict situations: low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: moderate
- Consequence of error: moderate
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Is this career right for me? Find jobs with conditions you prefer
Where people with this background could move
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Closeness 92/100 · job zone -2
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Construction and Building Inspectors
Closeness 92/100 · job zone -1
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Power Distributors and Dispatchers
Closeness 92/100 · job zone -1
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Fire Inspectors and Investigators
Closeness 91/100 · job zone -1
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Energy Auditors
Closeness 91/100 · job zone -1
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Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage
Closeness 91/100 · job zone -1
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O*NET-SOC 53-6051.00 · SOC 53-6051 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8