A professional who operates material-handling equipment, such as power winch, grain trimmer, crane, and lift truck, to transfer cargo into or from hold of ship and about dock area. Responsibilities include:

• Operates crane or winch to load or unload cargo, such as automobiles, crates, scrap, and steel beams, using hook, magnet, or sling attached in accordance with signals from other workers.
• Moves controls to start flow of grain from spouts of grain trimmer, stopping flow and repositioning spout over each hatch when previous hatch is filled.
• Drives lift truck along dock or aboard ship to transfer bulk items, such as lumber, pallet-mounted machinery, and crated products within range of winch.
• Drives tractor to transfer loaded trailers from warehouse to dockside.
• May position and fasten hose lines to ships' cargo tanks when loading or unloading liquid cargo, such as animal fats, vegetable oils, molasses, or chemicals.
• May perform variety of manual duties, such as lashing and shoring cargo aboard ship, attaching slings, hooks, or other lifting devices to winch for loading or unloading, and signaling other workers to move, raise, or lower cargo.
• May direct activities of cargo gang consisting of stevedore II.
• May be designated according to equipment operated as lift-truck operator; tractor operator; winch operator.