Crane or Tower Operator
Other Titles
Crane Operator, Heavy Equipment Operator, Machine Operator, Material Handler, Mobile Crane Operator, Overhead Crane Operator, Port Crane Operator, Scrap Crane Operator, Winchman/Crane Operator, Woodyard Crane Operator
Determine load weights and check them against lifting capacities to prevent overload.
Move levers, depress foot pedals, or turn dials to operate cranes, cherry pickers, electromagnets, or other moving equipment for lifting, moving, or placing loads.
Inspect and adjust crane mechanisms or lifting accessories to prevent malfunctions or damage.
Inspect cables or grappling devices for wear and install or replace cables, as needed.
Direct helpers engaged in placing blocking or outrigging under cranes.
Clean, lubricate, and maintain mechanisms such as cables, pulleys, or grappling devices, making repairs as necessary.
Load or unload bundles from trucks or move containers to storage bins, using moving equipment.
Review daily work or delivery schedules to determine orders, sequences of deliveries, or special loading instructions.
Inspect bundle packaging for conformance to regulations or customer requirements and remove and batch packaging tickets.
Direct truck drivers backing vehicles into loading bays and cover, uncover, or secure loads for delivery.
Weigh bundles, using floor scales, and record weights for company records.
Operation and Control→ Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operation Monitoring→ Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Critical Thinking→ Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
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.
Monitoring→ Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Judgment and Decision Making→ Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Reading Comprehension→ Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking→ Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management→ Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Controlling Machines and Processes→ Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material→ Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment→ Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
Handling and Moving Objects→ Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Getting Information→ Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events→ Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems→ Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment→ Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic principles.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates→ Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings→ Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
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.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge→ Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others→ Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
Performing General Physical Activities→ Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information→ Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People→ Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
Developing and Building Teams→ Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
Processing Information→ Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships→ Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work→ Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others→ Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
Thinking Creatively→ Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Analyzing Data or Information→ Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
Weigh materials to ensure compliance with specifications.
Verify information or specifications.
Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.
Inspect material-moving equipment to detect problems.
Maintain material moving equipment in good working condition.
Install parts, assemblies, or attachments in transportation or material handling equipment.
Direct material handling or moving activities.
Clean machinery or equipment.
Load shipments, belongings, or materials.
Review work orders or schedules to determine operations or procedures.
Secure cargo.
Signal others to coordinate vehicle movement.
Record operational or production data.
Control Precision→ The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Multilimb Coordination→ The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Depth Perception→ The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
Far Vision→ The ability to see details at a distance.
Rate Control→ The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
Reaction Time→ The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
Arm-Hand Steadiness→ The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
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.
Manual Dexterity→ The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Response Orientation→ The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures).It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
Selective Attention→ The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Near Vision→ The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Expression→ The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Oral Comprehension→ The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Perceptual Speed→ The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Speech Clarity→ The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition→ The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Visual Color Discrimination→ The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
Visualization→ The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Deductive Reasoning→ The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Finger Dexterity→ The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Glare Sensitivity→ The ability to see objects in the presence of glare or bright lighting.
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).
Spatial Orientation→ The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
Time Sharing→ The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
Database user interface and query software -- Data entry software
Industrial control software -- Crane operation control software
Inventory management software -- Inventory tracking software
Office suite software -- e.g., Microsoft Office; Google Workspace
Operating system software -- e.g., Microsoft Windows
Spreadsheet software -- e.g., Microsoft Excel
Adjustable wrenches
All terrain cranes→ All-terrain cranes
Anemometers
Angle grinder→ Angle grinders
Ball peen hammer→ Ball peen hammers
Below the hook device→ Anti-two block devices; Lifting magnets; Spreader beams; Tower attachments
Bench vises
Blocks or pulleys→ Hook blocks
Blow torch→ Oxyacetylene torches; Propane torches
Box end wrenches→ Closed-end wrenches
Bridge cranes→ Gantry cranes
Calipers→ Vernier calipers
Claw hammer→ Claw hammers
Demolition equipment kits→ Iron balls; Overhaul balls
Demolition hammers
Draglines→ Dragline buckets
Drum grabs→ Barrel clamps
Ear muffs→ Protective ear muffs
Ear plugs→ Protective ear plugs
Earthmoving buckets or its parts or accessories→ Clamshell buckets; Orange peel buckets
Floor or platform scales→ Floor scales
Force or torque sensors→ Load monitoring indicators; Rated load indicators
Forklifts→ Pallet forks
Goggles→ Safety goggles
Grapples→ Timber tongs
Grease guns
Hazardous material protective apparel→ Survival suits
Hoists→ Chain falls
Hydraulic truck cranes→ Cab cranes; Hydraulic truck-mounted cranes
Impact wrenches→ Electric impact wrenches
Jacks→ Hydraulic jacks
Jib crane→ Jib cranes
Lifting hooks→ Clips; Lifting clamps; Load hooks; Wedge sockets
Linear position sensors→ Boom length indicators
Needlenose pliers
Oil gun→ Oilcans
Open end wrenches
Paint sprayers→ Paint application sprayers
Pile drivers→ Drop hammers
Pneumatic impact wrenches
Power drills
Pressure or steam cleaners→ Power washers; Steam cleaning equipment
Pry bars
Pullers→ Comealongs
Punches or nail sets or drifts→ Drift pins; Punches
Ratchets→ Ratchet sets
Respirators
Rotary position sensors→ Boom angle indicators
Rough terrain cranes→ Rough-terrain cranes
Safety glasses
Safety harnesses or belts→ Fall arrest harnesses
Screwdrivers→ Phillips head screwdrivers; Robertson screwdrivers; Straight screwdrivers
Shackle→ Shackles
Sledge hammer→ Sledgehammers
Slings→ Lifting slings
Slip or groove joint pliers→ Slip joint pliers
Specialty wrenches→ Spud wrenches
Tape measures→ Measuring tapes
Tinners snips→ Snips
Tire pressure gauge→ Tire pressure gauges
Touch screen monitors→ Wireless touch screen monitors
Tower cranes→ Friction cranes; Luffing jib cranes; Ringer cranes
Track cranes→ Crawler cranes; Monorail cranes
Track excavators→ Excavators
Turnbuckles
Two way radios
Wear testers→ Wear gauges
Welding masks
Wire brushes
Wire cutters→ Wire rope cutters
Realistic→ Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Conventional→ Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Investigative→ Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Dependability→ Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attention to Detail→ Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Self Control→ Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Cooperation→ Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Stress Tolerance→ Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Adaptability/Flexibility→ Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Concern for Others→ Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Initiative→ Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Integrity→ Job requires being honest and ethical.
Independence→ Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Leadership→ Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Persistence→ Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Analytical Thinking→ Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Achievement/Effort→ Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Social Orientation→ Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Innovation→ Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Support→ Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Independence→ Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Working Conditions→ Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.