Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.

Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 44 occupations and seen in 57 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Operate lifting or moving equipment. in Controlling Machines and Processes .

Detailed work activities are the most granular shared layer in O*NET's work-activity hierarchy (Generalized → Intermediate → Detailed → occupation-specific task). The figures below describe how this activity shows up across the economy and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the work will be automated.

AI exposure

Of the 57 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 0 (0%) are flagged as directly exposed to language models (E1) or exposed via model-powered tools (E2).

Exposure estimates overlap with model capabilities — whether a model could speed the task up — not whether the work will be done by software. Observed AI use is augmentation and assistance today, not jobs replaced.

Member tasks

Occupation-specific tasks O*NET maps to this detailed work activity, most important first.

• Move hand and foot levers of hoisting equipment to position piling leads, hoist piling into leads, and position hammers over pilings. · Pile Driver Operators · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Raise vehicles, using hydraulic jacks. · Tire Repairers and Changers · importance 4.6 · no direct exposure
• Move levers or controls that operate lifting devices, such as forklifts, lift beams with swivel-hooks, hoists, or elevating platforms, to load, unload, transport, or stack material. · Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators · importance 4.6 · no direct exposure
• Move levers, pedals, and throttles to stop, start, and regulate speeds of hoist or winch drums in response to hand, bell, buzzer, telephone, loud-speaker, or whistle signals, or by observing dial indicators or cable marks. · Hoist and Winch Operators · importance 4.6 · no direct exposure
• Move levers, depress foot pedals, or turn dials to operate cranes, cherry pickers, electromagnets, or other moving equipment for lifting, moving, or placing loads. · Crane and Tower Operators · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Operate controls that raise derricks or level rigs. · Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Apply hand or foot brakes and move levers to lock hoists or winches. · Hoist and Winch Operators · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Start engines of hoists or winches and use levers and pedals to wind or unwind cable on drums. · Hoist and Winch Operators · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Operate controls to move or discharge metal workpieces from furnaces. · Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Move machinery and equipment, using hoists, dollies, rollers, and trucks. · Millwrights · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Push levers and brake pedals to control gasoline, diesel, electric, or steam draw works that lower and raise drill pipes and casings in and out of wells. · Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Dig holes, using augers, and set poles, using cranes and power equipment. · Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Fasten structural steel members to hoist cables, using chains, cables, or rope. · Structural Iron and Steel Workers · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Operate compressed air, diesel, electric, gasoline, or steam-driven hoists or winches to control movement of cableways, cages, derricks, draglines, loaders, railcars, or skips. · Hoist and Winch Operators · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Operate ship loading and unloading equipment, conveyors, hoists, and other specialized material handling equipment such as railroad tank car unloading equipment. · Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Control movement of heavy equipment through narrow openings or confined spaces, using chainfalls, gin poles, gallows frames, and other equipment. · Riggers · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Start power winches that draw in or let out cables to change positions of dredges, or pull in and let out cables manually. · Dredge Operators · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Hoist steel beams, girders, or columns into place, using cranes or signaling hoisting equipment operators to lift and position structural steel members. · Structural Iron and Steel Workers · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Locate and recover lost or broken bits, casings, and drill pipes from wells, using special tools. · Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Raise trucks, buses, and heavy parts or equipment using hydraulic jacks or hoists. · Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Move levers to raise and lower hydraulic safety bars supporting roofs above machines until other workers complete framing. · Continuous Mining Machine Operators · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Lift units or parts such as motors or generators, using cranes or chain hoists, or signal crane operators to lift heavy parts or subassemblies. · Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Manipulate rigging lines, hoists, and pulling gear to move or support materials, such as heavy equipment, ships, or theatrical sets. · Riggers · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Operate cranes or hoists with suction cups to lift large, heavy pieces of glass. · Glaziers · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Operate cranes to move or load baskets, casks, or canisters. · Hazardous Materials Removal Workers · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Load or unload materials into containers or onto trucks, using hoists or forklifts. · Hazardous Materials Removal Workers · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Lift equipment into position, using cranes and rigging tools or equipment, such as gin poles. · Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Load and arrange glass or mirrors onto delivery trucks, using suction cups or cranes to lift glass. · Glaziers · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Operate automated or semi-automated hoisting devices that raise refuse bins and dump contents into openings in truck bodies. · Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Clamp holding fixtures on ends of hoisting cables. · Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Operate lifting or moving devices to move equipment or materials to access areas to be painted. · Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Attach slings, hooks, or other devices to lift cargo and guide loads. · Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Retrieve lost equipment from bore holes, using retrieval tools and equipment. · Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Thread cables through derrick pulleys, using hand tools. · Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• String cables through pulleys and blocks. · Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Operate hoists to place workpieces onto machine feed carriages or spindles. · Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Tend auxiliary equipment, such as jacks, slings, cables, or stop blocks, to facilitate moving items or materials for further processing. · Hoist and Winch Operators · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Move or position materials such as marble slabs, using cranes, hoists, or dollies. · Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Operate hoists to position dies or patterns on foundry floors. · Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Recover objects by placing rigging around sunken objects, hooking rigging to crane lines, and operating winches, derricks, or cranes to raise objects. · Commercial Divers · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure

Occupations that perform this

• Pile Driver Operators
• Tire Repairers and Changers
• Hoist and Winch Operators
• Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
• Crane and Tower Operators
• Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas
• Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
• Millwrights
• Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas
• Structural Iron and Steel Workers
• Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers
• Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
• Riggers
• Dredge Operators
• Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists
• Continuous Mining Machine Operators
• Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers
• Glaziers
• Hazardous Materials Removal Workers
• Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers
• Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
• Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas
• Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
• Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
• Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters
• Commercial Divers
• Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians
• Maintenance Workers, Machinery
• Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
• Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
• Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters
• Stonemasons
• Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
• Roustabouts, Oil and Gas
• Boilermakers
• Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-operate-cranes-hoists-or-other-moving-or-lifting-equipment,
  title  = {Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/detailed-activities/operate-cranes-hoists-or-other-moving-or-lifting-equipment}
}