At freight docks, weighing stations, or carrier terminals, you weigh freight to confirm shipment weights against bills of lading — supporting freight billing, dimensional weight calculation, and the accuracy that freight invoicing depends on.
In the freight terminal, the day runs between platform scales and the freight-document file — pallets, cases, and parcels crossing the scale, weight tickets generated, comparisons made against shipping documents. You're often between the dock crew and the freight-billing office. Weights captured accurately and billing-document reconciliation anchor the visible measures.
Where it gets demanding is the discrepancies that affect freight billing — under-weight shipments shortage carriers; over-weight ones generate reweigh fees. Variance across employers is real: at major carriers and freight terminals weighers work within structured weight-and-bill programs; at smaller terminals the role combines weighing with broader freight operations.
It fits people who are detail-precise about weight readings and tolerant of dock-environment work. The trade-off is shift schedules and the standing-work physical demand. Industry credentials and seniority anchor advancement.
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Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths
View all Admin & Office roles →At freight docks, weighing stations, or carrier terminals, you weigh freight to confirm shipment weights against bills of lading — supporting freight billing, dimensional weight calculation, and the accuracy that freight invoicing depends on.
Median pay for a Freight Weigher is about $46K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $35K to $60K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Monitoring, Speaking, and Coordination.
Most people in this role hold a high school diploma.
Employment in this field is projected to decline about 4.8% through 2034, with roughly 49,720 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Inventory Control Specialist, Senior Inventory Control Specialist, and Inventory Specialist.
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