What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Cargo and Freight Agents in the U.S. earn more than $52,260 a year — the middle 80% land between $38,340 and $79,810. About 97,670 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Cargo and Freight Agents”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Clerical support workers earn about ₹24,252 a month on average — around ₹2.9 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$52,260typical pay / year
97,670people in this work
$79,810+top 10% earn
₹2.9 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Move3
Determine method of shipment
+Decide the shipment method for the 12 pallets leaving Newark to Atlanta on Tuesday: weigh the cargo, check…
Determine method of shipment
+Decide the shipment method for the 12 pallets leaving Newark to Atlanta on Tuesday: weigh the cargo, check hazmat declarations, compare road, rail and intermodal transit times and cost, then confirm routing and carrier to meet a Wednesday delivery window.
The tools that do the workTransportation management system TMSjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Record shipment costs and weights
+Record costs and gross weights for the five outbound loads from Chicago on Monday: enter carrier invoices,…
Record shipment costs and weights
+Record costs and gross weights for the five outbound loads from Chicago on Monday: enter carrier invoices, fuel surcharges, and individual pallet weights into the central ledger so totals and cost-per-kilo update for month-end reconciliation.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Track shipment delivery progress
+Track delivery progress for shipment AWB 738291 from Los Angeles to Dallas: log pickup time, update estimated…
Track shipment delivery progress
+Track delivery progress for shipment AWB 738291 from Los Angeles to Dallas: log pickup time, update estimated arrival on each checkpoint, flag any delays over two hours, and notify operations and the consignee immediately if arrival slips past the ETA.
The tools that do the workTransportation management system TMSjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
The daily work13
Check the condition of the cargo
+Inspect cargo condition for container CNTR 459012 on arrival in Boston: run external seal check, open and…
Check the condition of the cargo
+Inspect cargo condition for container CNTR 459012 on arrival in Boston: run external seal check, open and photograph key pallets, note any tears, moisture, or shifted loads on the inspection report, and escalate suspected hazardous breaches to safety and the consignee.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OneNoteESCOWikipedia
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Handle freight inspection equipment
+Schedule and document the freight equipment inspection for the Midland yard on Thursday, bring the calibrated…
Handle freight inspection equipment
+Schedule and document the freight equipment inspection for the Midland yard on Thursday, bring the calibrated vibration monitor and gas detector, record serial numbers and fault photos, sign off the checklist, and notify operations and safety by 6pm if any defect grounds the trailer.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Prepare freight shipment reports
+Compile the weekly freight shipment report for Region 4: include shipment IDs, weights, hazard…
Prepare freight shipment reports
+Compile the weekly freight shipment report for Region 4: include shipment IDs, weights, hazard classifications, inspection pass/fail, delays over two hours, and compliance notes, calculate totals by commodity and send the PDF report to logistics management and compliance by Friday noon.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Coordinate multi-modal transportation logistics
+Build the itinerary for the Brazil export using road, river barge and feeder vessel legs, assign carrier…
Coordinate multi-modal transportation logistics
+Build the itinerary for the Brazil export using road, river barge and feeder vessel legs, assign carrier contact, note transload points and cargo limits, calculate total transit time and hand the plan to Jorge in Operations for carrier confirmations by Tuesday.
The tools that do the workTransportation management system TMSWikipedia
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Analyse the fuel compartments
+Inspect and report the fuel compartment layouts for the refrigerated truck fleet: record capacity, baffling,…
Analyse the fuel compartments
+Inspect and report the fuel compartment layouts for the refrigerated truck fleet: record capacity, baffling, leak checks, and sensor readings, compare to hazardous cargo limits, and deliver a summary report to Fleet Maintenance by Friday.
The tools that do the workTransportation managementESCO
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Analyse the safety equipment
+Survey onboard safety equipment across the west depot fleet: check fire extinguishers, emergency shutoffs,…
Analyse the safety equipment
+Survey onboard safety equipment across the west depot fleet: check fire extinguishers, emergency shutoffs, spill kits and PPE levels, log missing or expired items, and send the compliance checklist with photos to Safety Manager Ana within 48 hours.
The tools that do the workPostingESCO
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Analyse the specific licenses required
+Compile the licence matrix for the refrigerated exports to Chile: list driver licences, vehicle permits,…
Analyse the specific licenses required
+Compile the licence matrix for the refrigerated exports to Chile: list driver licences, vehicle permits, dangerous goods endorsements and port authorisations, highlight any gaps and forward to Legal and HR for remediation by next Monday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelESCO
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Lead inspections
+Lead the inbound container inspection at Gate 4 tomorrow: set inspection team, outline checklist for slings,…
Lead inspections
+Lead the inbound container inspection at Gate 4 tomorrow: set inspection team, outline checklist for slings, seals, tare weights and hazardous marking, record defects, sign the inspection report and issue non-conformance to Logistics within four hours.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Advise clients on transportation and payment methods
+Advise FreightCo and the consignee on the cheapest compliant transport and payment route for a 20,000 kg…
Advise clients on transportation and payment methods
+Advise FreightCo and the consignee on the cheapest compliant transport and payment route for a 20,000 kg chemical pallet to Rotterdam, list air/sea/road options, insurance and documentary costs, and state regulatory handling steps for hazardous cargo before confirming booking by Thursday.
The tools that do the workTransportation management system TMSjob descriptionsO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Resolve issues related to shipment delays or damages
+Investigate the delayed load for customer BrightLine: gather inspection photos, carrier incident report,…
Resolve issues related to shipment delays or damages
+Investigate the delayed load for customer BrightLine: gather inspection photos, carrier incident report, delivery timestamps, and suggest corrective actions and compensation owed under the bill terms, then notify the operations manager and BrightLine by end of day.
The tools that do the workTransportation management system TMSO*NETWikipedia
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Maintain a supply of packing materials.
+Audit current packing stock and forecast weekly usage for next month, reorder corrugated boxes, stretch film,…
Maintain a supply of packing materials.
+Audit current packing stock and forecast weekly usage for next month, reorder corrugated boxes, stretch film, and strapping to maintain a two‑week buffer, and send the purchase list and required delivery date to procurement by Tuesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Direct delivery trucks to shipping doors or designated marshaling areas and help load and unload goods safely.
+Direct drivers to dock doors 4 through 7 and the south marshaling yard on arrival today, supervise safe…
Direct delivery trucks to shipping doors or designated marshaling areas and help load and unload goods safely.
+Direct drivers to dock doors 4 through 7 and the south marshaling yard on arrival today, supervise safe loading and unloading procedures for fragile and hazardous items, and log any safety incidents to the site manager before shift end.
The tools that do the workPostingO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Notify customers of freight or baggage arrival
+Notify customers on today’s arrivals: send arrival notices to Delta Distributors and GreenMarket with pickup…
Notify customers of freight or baggage arrival
+Notify customers on today’s arrivals: send arrival notices to Delta Distributors and GreenMarket with pickup windows, required ID and paperwork, and contact details for claims, and confirm any storage fees if not collected within 48 hours.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptions
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Keeping the record2
Enter shipping information into computer systems
+Enter shipping details for the five outbound movements scheduled Friday into the system: input shippers,…
Enter shipping information into computer systems
+Enter shipping details for the five outbound movements scheduled Friday into the system: input shippers, consignees, commodity descriptions, weights, dimensions and declared hazards so pickers and carriers receive accurate manifests and labels.
The tools that do the workSAPjob descriptionsO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Prepare manifests for passengers and freight
+Prepare passenger and freight manifests for the weekend service to Miami: compile passenger list, itemise all…
Prepare manifests for passengers and freight
+Prepare passenger and freight manifests for the weekend service to Miami: compile passenger list, itemise all freight by slot and weight, include declared hazardous items and their placarding, then produce print-ready manifests for crew and port authorities.
The tools that do the workTransportation managementjob descriptionsO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Says who?
These are the pages we read to build this. Open any of them and check us.
The logs, files & records this job keeps
Shared with other careers — the same record means something different in each.
Related careers
Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.
The LLOS Work Atlas is the world's largest evidenced task library — a map of human work, with a ready prompt behind every task. 1,774 careers · every task named by the sources that witnessed it — O*NET, ESCO, real job descriptions, Wikipedia — and the deepest tasks by several at once. And it is honest about limits: where AI cannot help, the map says so.
The rest of the map
Same library, five ways in.
Copyright © LLOS.ai · 2026 — original pedagogy, voice, and design — all rights reserved.
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses