AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 53-6051.00
Will AI replace Transportation Inspectors?
Transportation Inspectors: AI can already handle 3 of 17 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs a standard-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 17 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Transportation Inspectors, from most to least exposed. 3 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Read draft markings to determine depths of vessels in water. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Calculate gross and net tonnage, hold capacities, volumes of stored fuel and water, cargo weights, and vessel stability factors, using mathematical formulas. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Advise crews in techniques of stowing dangerous and heavy cargo. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Recommend remedial procedures to correct any violations found during inspections. | Observed | Standard | |
| Inspect shipments to ensure that freight is securely braced and blocked. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| 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. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Visually inspect cargo for damage upon arrival or discharge. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Prepare and submit reports after completion of freight shipments. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Record details about freight conditions, handling of freight, and any problems encountered. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Observe loading of freight to ensure that crews comply with procedures. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Post warning signs on vehicles containing explosives or flammable or radioactive materials. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Measure heights and widths of loads to ensure they will pass over bridges or through tunnels on scheduled routes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Notify workers of any special treatment required for shipments. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Direct crews to reload freight or to insert additional bracing or packing as necessary. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Check temperatures and humidities of shipping and storage areas to ensure that they are at appropriate levels to protect cargo. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Determine cargo transportation capabilities by reading documents that set forth cargo loading and securing procedures, capacities, and stability factors. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Measure vessels' holds and depths of fuel and water in tanks, using sounding lines and tape measures. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 1 of 17 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 16 of 17. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A standard-tier model or lower covers 35% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 40% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 60% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 24,500
- Median annual wage
- $92,100
- Middle half of earners
- $58,780 to $108,890
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +1.7%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034. BLS publishes these figures by SOC code, so O*NET occupations that share a SOC code show the same figures.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation 80% skill overlap, about 7 months to move Exposure37
- Aviation Inspectors 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure27
- Cargo and Freight Agents 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure56
- Agricultural Inspectors 65% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure42
- Transportation Engineers 64% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure51
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Transportation Inspectors and AI
Will AI replace Transportation Inspectors?
AI already handles 3 of the 17 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 27 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +1.7% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Transportation Inspectors?
27 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 1 of the 17 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 16 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Transportation Inspectors tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Read draft markings to determine depths of vessels in water; Calculate gross and net tonnage, hold capacities, volumes of stored fuel and water, cargo weights, and vessel stability factors, using mathematical formulas; Advise crews in techniques of stowing dangerous and heavy cargo. They are the tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 35% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 60% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Transportation Inspectors, and what do they earn?
24,500 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $92,100 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +1.7% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Transportation Inspectors. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/transportation-inspectors
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