Career summary

Details for Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation


Description

Inspect and monitor transportation equipment, vehicles or systems to ensure compliance with regulations and safety standards.

Tasks

  • Inspect vehicles or other equipment for evidence of abuse, damage, or mechanical malfunction.
  • Inspect vehicles or equipment to ensure compliance with rules, standards, or regulations.
  • Conduct vehicle or transportation equipment tests, using diagnostic equipment.
  • Inspect repairs to transportation vehicles or equipment to ensure that repair work was performed properly.
  • Prepare reports on investigations or inspections and actions taken.
  • Issue notices and recommend corrective actions when infractions or problems are found.
  • Investigate complaints regarding safety violations.
  • Examine carrier operating rules, employee qualification guidelines, or carrier training and testing programs for compliance with regulations or safety standards.
  • Investigate and make recommendations on carrier requests for waiver of federal standards.
  • Review commercial vehicle logs, shipping papers, or driver and equipment records to detect any problems or to ensure compliance with regulations.
  • Investigate incidents or violations, such as delays, accidents, and equipment failures.
  • Negotiate with authorities, such as local government officials, to eliminate hazards along transportation routes.
  • Evaluate new methods of packaging, testing, shipping, or transporting hazardous materials to ensure adequate public safety protection.
  • Attach onboard diagnostics (OBD) scanner cables to vehicles to conduct emissions inspections.
  • Compare emissions findings with applicable emissions standards.
  • Conduct remote inspections of motor vehicles, using handheld controllers and remotely directed vehicle inspection devices.
  • Conduct visual inspections of emission control equipment and smoke emitted from gasoline or diesel vehicles.
  • Identify emissions testing procedures and standards appropriate for the age and technology of vehicles.
  • Identify modifications to engines, fuel systems, emissions control equipment, or other vehicle systems to determine the impact of modifications on inspection procedures or conclusions.
  • Monitor or review output from systems, such as Thermal Imaging Units (TIU) or roadside imaging tools, to identify high-risk commercial motor vehicles for follow-up inspections.
  • Perform low-pressure fuel evaluative tests (LPFET) to test for harmful emissions from vehicles without onboard diagnostics (OBD) equipment.

Interests

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Education, training, experience

  • Education - These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
  • Training - Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
  • Experience - Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

Knowledge

  • Administration and Management -Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • Computers and Electronics -Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • English Language -Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Transportation -Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
  • Mechanical -Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Skills

None found.

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