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Cargo specialist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical cargo specialist skills. We ranked the top skills for cargo specialists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 17.4% of cargo specialist resumes contained forklifts as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a cargo specialist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 cargo specialist skills for your resume and career

1. Forklifts

Forklifts refer to a powerful industrial truck used to move and lift materials over short distances.

Here's how cargo specialists use forklifts:

Operated all forklifts and container handling equipment safely and efficiently, adhering to established regulations and policies.
Supervised operator maintenance for cargo handling equipment such as K-loaders and forklifts.

2. Cranes

Here's how cargo specialists use cranes:

Supervised crane operations in support of military and civilian personnel.
Guard motor pools and operate heavy machinery such as Fork Lifts, Container Lifting Vehicles, and Cranes on vessels.

3. Safety Procedures

Safety procedures are a set of standardized procedures, that ensures minimal to no risk to people, resources, and the work environment. A company follows the step-by-step safety procedures as it they not only keep the customers and the employees safe, but also help in avoiding legal claims.

Here's how cargo specialists use safety procedures:

Focused on safety procedures for handling dangerous cargo.
Employed safety procedures; signals winch man, hoist man, or cargo equipment operator where to move cargo.

4. Motor Vehicle

A motor vehicle is a mode of transportation such as a car, truck or bus.

Here's how cargo specialists use motor vehicle:

Loaded and unloaded supplies and equipment from warehouses, motor vehicles, and shipping containers of all sizes.
Load and unload supplies and equipment from docks, warehouses, motor vehicles and aircraft.

5. Data Processing Systems

Here's how cargo specialists use data processing systems:

Inspected tallied and documented cargo using manuals and automated data processing systems.
Tallied and documented cargo utilizing automated data processing systems.

6. Logistics

Logistics is a complete organization and implementation of a problem. Logistics are often considered in a complex business operation, as some works need detailed plannings. Logistics are also used in military action.

Here's how cargo specialists use logistics:

Conducted research on logistics operations including literature reviews, performed interviews and site visits.
Coordinated with several defense entities to organize in-theater logistics during 12-month deployment to Iraq.

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7. Air Shipments

Here's how cargo specialists use air shipments:

Perform joint inspections (JI) of cargo and vehicles prior to manifesting and loading of items for air shipment.
Created load plans for air Shipment of supplies in a both peace and war time situations.

8. Hazardous Materials

Any substance or good that is harmful to human health as well as the environment are called hazardous materials. Such materials must be handled carefully to avoid any mishaps. Harmful gases. chemicals, strong medicines or drugs, radioactive elements required for radiation purposes, a human blood sample that carries germs, all of these are considered hazardous materials.

Here's how cargo specialists use hazardous materials:

Performed aircraft load/balance calculations and special handling hazardous materials.
Inspected hazardous materials to ensure safety during shipment.

9. Mechanical Methods

Here's how cargo specialists use mechanical methods:

Supervised the transfer of cargo and equipment by air, land, and water transport through both manual and mechanical methods.
Skilled at transferring & supervising the transfer of cargo via truck, plane, rail and vessel using mechanical methods.

10. Safety Practices

Here's how cargo specialists use safety practices:

Supervised operator maintenance for cargo handling equipment and enforced safety practices and documentation procedures.
Followed general safety practices in operating equipment and/or operator maintenance on equipment.

11. DOD

Definition of Done (DoD) is a set of deliverables that are needed to devise software. These deliverables are valuable to the system and can be exemplified by writing code, coding comments, unit testing, integration testing, design documents, release notes, and so on.

Here's how cargo specialists use dod:

Certified demilitarization operations in accordance with DOD demilitarization guidelines.
Provide the management necessary to ensure the maximum utilization of storage and warehousing facilities as stated in DOD 4145.19-R-1.

12. Technical Guidance

Technical guidance refers to the various guidelines or resources in the form of handbooks, checklists, tools/toolkits, or surveillance protocols, that reflects the generally accepted technical practices necessary to meet a requirement.

Here's how cargo specialists use technical guidance:

Provide technical guidance to subordinates.
Provide technical guidance and training to the work place for future references and missions.

13. Terminal Operations

Here's how cargo specialists use terminal operations:

Coordinated aircraft loading/unloading with global air terminal operations and shipping agencies well within aircraft limitations and time standards.
Planned work schedules for terminal operations, airfield arrival/departure groups and container/trailer transfer points.

14. Slings

Here's how cargo specialists use slings:

Used and maintained slings, nets, hooks, pallets, spreaders, lifting bars, winches, and hoists.
Issue materiel handling equipment, nets, slings, ropes, cables, wire, rope and other cargo operations gear.

15. MHE

Here's how cargo specialists use mhe:

Coordinated Material Handling Equipment (MHE) to download transportation assets delivering cargo and equipment to their area of responsibility.
Monitored the assigned Materials Handling Equipment (MHE) vehicle fleet.

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List of cargo specialist skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a cargo specialist resume and required skills for a cargo specialist to have include:

Forklifts
Cranes
Safety Procedures
Motor Vehicle
Data Processing Systems
Logistics
Air Shipments
Hazardous Materials
Mechanical Methods
Safety Practices
DOD
Technical Guidance
Terminal Operations
Slings
MHE

Combat
Rig
Materials Handling
Rail Cars
Pallet Jack
Safety Standards
Freight Shipments
Water Transport
Load Cargo
Equipment Maintenance
Warehouse Storage
Cargo Movement
PMCS
Parachutes
Ribbon

Hand Trucks
Military Equipment
Professional Development
MOS
Dangerous Cargo
Redeployment
Military Aircraft
Port Operations
NCO
Terrorism
Ammunition
Medal
Military Cargo

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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