Expedite and route movement of incoming and outgoing cargo and freight shipments in airline, train, and trucking terminals, and shipping docks. Take orders from customers and arrange pickup of freight and cargo for delivery to loading platform. Prepare and examine bills of lading to determine shipping charges and tariffs.
U.S. Workers
97,800
Median Salary
$49,900
10-Year Growth
+8.5%
Annual Openings
8,800
Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
21 of 24 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Estimate freight or postal rates and record shipment costs and weights.
AI: Fully automatable - Rate engines and carrier integrations enable AI to estimate freight/postal rates and record shipment costs and weights accurately.
Keep records of all goods shipped, received, and stored.
AI: Fully automatable - Digital warehouse management systems and integrated software can fully maintain records of shipped, received, and stored goods automatically from scans and system events.
Enter shipping information into a computer by hand or by a hand-held scanner that reads bar codes on goods.
AI: Fully automatable - Barcode scanners and software already automate capturing and entering shipping information directly into computer systems without human typing.
Prepare manifests showing numbers of airplane passengers and baggage, mail, and freight weights, transmitting data to destinations.
AI: Fully automatable - Manifest generation and electronic transmission (e.g., IATA/FWB messages) are routinely automated by airline and freight systems.
Advise clients on transportation and payment methods.
AI: Fully automatable - AI can analyze routes, transit options, costs, timelines, and payment terms to recommend transportation and payment methods to clients.
Track delivery progress of shipments.
AI: Fully automatable - Tracking delivery progress is already automated via carrier APIs, EDI, and integrated systems that AI can aggregate and monitor in real time.
Notify consignees, passengers, or customers of freight or baggage arrival and arrange for delivery.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated notification systems combined with logistics integrations can inform consignees/customers of arrivals and coordinate or schedule delivery/pickup arrangements.
Determine method of shipment and prepare bills of lading, invoices, and other shipping documents.
AI: Fully automatable - Rule-based optimization and document-generation systems can determine suitable shipment methods and automatically prepare bills of lading, invoices, and related shipping documents.
Contact vendors or claims adjustment departments to resolve shipment problems or contact service depots to arrange for repairs.
AI: Fully automatable - Contacting vendors, claims departments, and service depots to resolve shipment problems can be fully automated through AI-driven communications, workflows, and API integrations.
Attach address labels, identification codes, and shipping instructions to containers.
AI: Fully automatable - Labeling tasks are already widely automated with printers, applicators, and vision verification so AI can fully manage applying and verifying address and ID labels.
Maintain a supply of packing materials.
AI: Fully automatable - Maintaining packing-material levels (monitoring inventory and auto-reordering) can be fully automated via inventory-management systems and AI-driven procurement triggers.
Check import or export documentation to determine cargo contents and use tariff coding system to classify goods according to fee or tariff group.
AI: Partial - AI and rules-based tools can extract data and suggest tariff/HS codes but still require human review for ambiguous items, exceptions, and regulatory subtleties.
Negotiate and arrange transport of goods with shipping or freight companies.
AI: Partial - Rate-shopping and route optimization can be automated, but complex negotiations, contractual terms, and relationship management still need human involvement.
Arrange insurance coverage for goods.
AI: Partial - Digital platforms can quote and procure standard cargo insurance automatically, but complex policies, claims nuances, and bespoke coverage still require human underwriting or review.
Direct or participate in cargo loading to ensure completeness of load and even distribution of weight.
AI: Partial - Software can compute optimal load plans and weight distribution, yet on-site direction and correcting unforeseen loading issues still require human oversight and action.
Coordinate and supervise activities of workers engaged in packing and shipping merchandise.
AI: Partial - Scheduling, tracking, and basic coordination can be automated, but supervising workers involves interpersonal management and ad-hoc decisions that AI cannot fully replicate.
Direct delivery trucks to shipping doors or designated marshaling areas and help load and unload goods safely.
AI: Partial - AI can coordinate arrival, direct trucks, and schedule marshaling areas, but the physical loading and unloading assistance typically still requires humans or specialized robotics not universally deployed.
Route received goods to first available flight or to appropriate storage areas or departments, using forklifts, hand trucks, or other equipment.
AI: Partial - AI can determine and assign optimal routing decisions but generally cannot perform the diverse, physical forklift/hand-truck handling required to move goods end-to-end in most real-world settings.
Retrieve stored items and trace lost shipments as necessary.
AI: Partial - Tracing lost shipments can be largely automated via tracking systems and analytics, but physically retrieving stored items still often requires humans or constrained robotic systems.
Inspect and count items received and check them against invoices or other documents, recording shortages and rejecting damaged goods.
AI: Partial - Counting and matching against documents can be largely automated with scanners, barcodes/RFID and computer vision, but nuanced damage assessment and physical rejection often still need human judgment or handling.
Pack goods for shipping, using tools such as staplers, strapping machines, and hammers.
AI: Partial - Packing standard goods with machines is possible, but varied items and the fine manual dexterity required for many packing tasks means only partial automation is realistic today.
Install straps, braces, and padding to loads to prevent shifting or damage during shipment.
AI: Not automatable - Physically installing straps, braces, and padding is manual skilled labor that current robotics and AI have not widely replaced in diverse, unstructured loading contexts.
Assemble containers and crates used to transport items, such as machines or vehicles.
AI: Not automatable - Assembling containers and crates is a hands‑on, variable manufacturing/assembly task that remains largely manual in typical freight operations as of 2025.
Open cargo containers and unwrap contents, using steel cutters, crowbars, or other hand tools.
AI: Not automatable - Opening varied cargo containers with handheld tools requires flexible physical manipulation and unstructured problem-solving that AI systems cannot reliably perform in general.