Cargo and freight agents 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 the loading platform. Prepare and examine bills of lading to determine shipping charges and tariffs.
Advise clients on transportation and payment methods.
Track delivery progress of shipments.
Notify consignees, passengers, or customers of freight or baggage arrival and arrange for delivery.
Determine method of shipment and prepare bills of lading, invoices, and other shipping documents.
Estimate freight or postal rates and record shipment costs and weights.
Keep records of all goods shipped, received, and stored.
Enter shipping information into a computer by hand or by a hand-held scanner that reads bar codes on goods.
Check import or export documentation to determine cargo contents and use tariff coding system to classify goods according to fee or tariff group.
Prepare manifests showing numbers of airplane passengers and baggage, mail, and freight weights, transmitting data to destinations.
Negotiate and arrange transport of goods with shipping or freight companies.
Install straps, braces, and padding to loads to prevent shifting or damage during shipment.
Assemble containers and crates used to transport items, such as machines or vehicles.
Arrange insurance coverage for goods.
Direct or participate in cargo loading to ensure completeness of load and even distribution of weight.
Coordinate and supervise activities of workers engaged in packing and shipping merchandise.
Route received goods to first available flight or to appropriate storage areas or departments, using forklifts, hand trucks, or other equipment.
Direct delivery trucks to shipping doors or designated marshaling areas and help load and unload goods safely.
Open cargo containers and unwrap contents, using steel cutters, crowbars, or other hand tools.
Contact vendors or claims adjustment departments to resolve shipment problems or contact service depots to arrange for repairs.
Retrieve stored items and trace lost shipments as necessary.
Attach address labels, identification codes, and shipping instructions to containers.
Inspect and count items received and check them against invoices or other documents, recording shortages and rejecting damaged goods.
Maintain a supply of packing materials.
Pack goods for shipping, using tools such as staplers, strapping machines, and hammers.
Work Context
Telephone — 100% responded "Every day".
Electronic Mail — 100% responded "Every day".
Contact With Others — 85% responded "Constant contact with others".
Structured versus Unstructured Work — 71% responded "A lot of freedom".
Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
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.
Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
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.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Performing Administrative Activities — Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Geography
Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Public Safety and Security
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Clerical
Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Sales and Marketing
Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Mathematics
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written Comprehension
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Speech Clarity
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Near Vision
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Speech Recognition
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Deductive Reasoning
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Written Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Information Ordering
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Category Flexibility
The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Selective Attention
The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Inductive Reasoning
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
