Record orders for changes in ship speed or direction, and note gauge readings or test data, such as revolutions per minute or voltage output, in engineering logs or bellbooks.

“Record orders for changes in ship speed or direction, and note gauge readings or test data, such as revolutions per minute or voltage output, in engineering logs or bellbooks.” is a core task performed by Ship Engineers. Among the occupation's 17 rated tasks, workers place it 5th by importance (#13 most important). About 78% of workers say it is relevant to their job.

This is a single occupation-specific task statement from O*NET. The figures below describe how central the task is to the job and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the task will be automated.

Work activities this task rolls up to

O*NET groups concrete tasks into broader work activities shared across many occupations.

• Maintain operational records. in Documenting/Recording Information

AI exposure

The OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rates this task E1. Direct exposure — a language model could plausibly cut the time to do this task by at least half.

Exposure measures whether a model could meaningfully speed the task up — it is an estimate of overlap with model capabilities, not a measure of whether the work will be done by software. The study's intermediate score (β) for this task is 1.00. Automation potential label: T2.

Other tasks in this occupation

• Monitor engine, machinery, or equipment indicators when vessels are underway, and report abnormalities to appropriate shipboard staff. · importance 4.8
• Monitor the availability, use, or condition of lifesaving equipment or pollution preventatives to ensure that international regulations are followed. · importance 4.8
• Monitor and test operations of engines or other equipment so that malfunctions and their causes can be identified. · importance 4.7
• Start engines to propel ships, and regulate engines and power transmissions to control speeds of ships, according to directions from captains or bridge computers. · importance 4.7
• Perform or participate in emergency drills, as required. · importance 4.6
• Perform general marine vessel maintenance or repair work, such as repairing leaks, finishing interiors, refueling, or maintaining decks. · importance 4.5
• Maintain or repair engines, electric motors, pumps, winches, or other mechanical or electrical equipment, or assist other crew members with maintenance or repair duties. · importance 4.5
• Maintain complete records of engineering department activities, including machine operations. · importance 4.5
• Operate or maintain off-loading liquid pumps or valves. · importance 4.4
• Maintain electrical power, heating, ventilation, refrigeration, water, or sewerage systems. · importance 4.2
• Install engine controls, propeller shafts, or propellers. · importance 4.2
• Clean engine parts and keep engine rooms clean. · importance 4.2
• Order and receive engine room stores, such as oil or spare parts, maintain inventories, and record usage of supplies. · importance 4.0
• Act as a liaison between a ship's captain and shore personnel to ensure that schedules and budgets are maintained and that the ship is operated safely and efficiently. · importance 4.0

See all tasks on the Ship Engineers page.

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-task-14555,
  title  = {Record orders for changes in ship speed or direction, and note gauge readings or test data, such as revolutions per minute or voltage output, in engineering logs or bellbooks.},
  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/tasks/task-14555}
}