What does a Longshoreman do?

Working as a longshoreman is taxing and dangerous. Longshoremen are responsible for transferring heavy loads of cargo on and off ships. Although each cargo load may vary in heaviness, each cargo load must be handled with care so that they are not damaged. They have to understand how to use heavy machinery to lift heavy loads of cargo safely and efficiently.

Longshoremen belong to unions, which provide them with the necessary training to use the equipment and understand the safety guidelines for each standard project. Training for a position as a longshoreman is crucial to avoid injuries. 

Since longshoremen have challenging and dangerous jobs, they must be dedicated to their position. We have broken down their positions to explore their work environment, physical demands, outlook, income, and stress.

Work Environment

Similar to other maritime and offshore workers, longshoremen work outside and close to the water which makes their work environment difficult. They have to manage working in all weather conditions, which increases the difficulty of their job. They are in charge of managing large machinery near the water which may come with complications in challenging weather conditions.

Physical Demands

Longshoremen are the backbone of the shipping industry because they oversee and move heavy loads on and off of ships. Their daily tasks require them to be agile, physical strength, endurance, have good eyesight, and coordination. They have to pass medical examinations so that they are cleared to work and manage their heavy equipment.

Outlook

The longshoreman job outlook is positive. Although they manage heavy equipment that allows for the transfer of heavy cargo, those machines need to be managed by professionals who understand how to efficiently and effectively work them so their jobs are quite secure.

Income

Longshoremen work on expensive cranes that carry heavy loads of expensive cargo, therefore, the people in charge of controlling them must have extensive training and experience. They work as a part of a union and must receive a Transportation Worker Identification Credential in order to join a union and work as a longshoreman. Due to their required training, lonshoreman do have a reflective income and they are paid well. 

Stress

The stress of being a longshoreman is rated quite similarly to other offshore and maritime workers. Given the difficulty of the weather and water conditions, it is very stressful.

We are here to help

Working as a longshoreman is one of the riskiest jobs in the offshore industry. At VB Attorneys, we have an extensive maritime practice and offshore practice that we have been able to use to fight for our clients. If you have been injured while working as a longshoreman, you deserve compensation and care. If you were injured because your employer or co-workers were negligence, you may have a claim. We respect the hard work that you do and feel that you should be respected by your company. Contact us if you need an experienced offshore attorney.