Warehouse workers facilitate the distribution of goods. They load and unload trucks, place goods in storage and move inventory when needed. Warehouse workers play an important and dangerous role: They spend their time lifting objects most of the day, including heavy ones, so the risk of injury is higher for warehouse workers, particularly if they do not observe safety practices.
Warehouse workers use several different tools to complete their job: They may use hand trucks, ladders, forklifts, and they may wear protective equipment such as a back brace or gloves. Warehouse workers must be strong and have a great deal of endurance. They work with a team of warehouse workers and truck drivers and they report to a warehouse supervisor or a manager of shipping and handling. Warehouse workers may work all hours depending on who they work for and what shift they have. Some warehouses are open all night and some over the weekend, so they may work day, evening, or night shifts.
Being a warehouse worker does not have any major educational requirements, except some employers prefer applicants to hold a high school diploma. The position also serves a good purpose in that it may allow a person to be self-sustaining where they might have difficulty finding jobs in other areas. People without high school diplomas or with felonies on their criminal records may be able to find gainful employment as warehouse workers.
Warehouse Worker Tasks
- Manually or mechanically load and unload materials from pallets, skids, platforms, cars, lifting devices, or other transport vehicles.
- Clean and maintain supplies, tools, equipment, and storage areas in order to ensure compliance with safety regulations.
- Verify inventory computations by comparing them to physical counts of stock, and investigate discrepancies and adjust errors.
- Receive, store, move and pack outgoing materials, equipment, and other items from warehouse.
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