Petroleum Supply Specialists

Background

Ships, airplanes, trucks, tanks, and other military vehicles require large amounts of fuel and lubricants. These and other petroleum products require special storage and handling. Petroleum supply specialists store and ship petroleum products, such as oil, fuel, compressed gas, and lubricants.

What They Do

Petroleum supply specialists in the military perform some or all of the following duties:

• Check the volume and temperature of petroleum and gases in tankers, barges, and storage tanks
• Connect hoses and valves and operate pumps to load petroleum products into tanker trucks, airplanes, ships, and railroad cars
• Prepare storage and shipping records
• Repair pipeline systems, hoses, valves, and pumps
• Store and move packaged petroleum products using forklifts
• Test oils and fuels for pollutants

Physical Demands

Petroleum supply specialists may have to perform moderate to heavy lifting.

Special Requirements

No information available.

Helpful Attributes

Helpful attributes include:

• Ability to follow spoken instructions
• Interest in working with machines and equipment
• Preference for physical work

Helpful School Subjects

Helpful school subjects include:

• Business math
• Shop mechanics

Helpful Fields of Study

No information available.

Work Environment

Petroleum supply specialists work outdoors in all types of weather while filling storage tanks and refueling airplanes, ships, and tankers.

Services offering this career:

• Air Force
• Army
• Marine Corps
• Navy

Hiring Practices

To serve in the military, a person must be at least 17; the maximum age for enlistment varies. To enlist, a person must pass a physical exam and an aptitude test. An enlistee must also meet military standards of discipline and be a US citizen or permanent resident alien.

This position is for enlisted personnel.

Wages

The military is competitive with the civilian world when it comes to pay and benefits. All branches offer the same basic pay and benefits.

Pay depends mainly on rank or grade as well as length of service. Bonuses and the situation in which the person is serving (for example: flight duty, sea duty, hazardous duty) also affect pay. 

Cost-of-living increases usually occur every year, based on inflation. The military also pays allowances for food, clothing, and housing. All these factors combined are called Regular Military Compensation (RMC). They should all be considered when comparing military pay to civilian pay.

There are two main parts to RMC: basic pay and allowances. There are also additional incentives for special abilities, training, or hazardous duty.

Check out the RMC Calculator to calculate your RMC based on your inputs.

Training Provided

Job training consists of four to eight weeks of classroom instruction, including practice in using petroleum pumping equipment.

Course content typically includes:

• Operating airplane refueling systems and equipment
• Operating pumps, pipelines, and tanker equipment
• Planning and scheduling petroleum transport
• Safety regulations and procedures for handling dangerous materials
• Testing oil and fuels

Further training occurs on the job and through advanced courses.

Civilian Counterparts

Civilian petroleum supply specialists work for oil refineries, pipeline companies, and tanker truck and ship lines. They may also refuel airplanes at large airports. They perform many of the same duties as military petroleum supply specialists.

Related Civilian Careers

• Pump Operators
• Service Station Attendants
• Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders

Employment and Outlook

In peace time the services have about 13,000 petroleum supply specialists. In times of military action the number may be different, depending on the type of specialties required. Each year the services need new specialists due to changes in personnel and the demands of the field. After training, specialists work in teams while performing oil and fuel pumping operations. Each team works under the direction of a supervisor. With experience, petroleum supply specialists may become team leaders, pipeline or pump station supervisors, or petroleum storage supervisors.