Freight, Stock, and Material Mover
Freight, stock, and material movers are essential laborers in the transportation and logistics sectors, specializing in the movement and storage of goods across various industries. They typically work in settings such as warehouses, shipping ports, airports, and industrial sites, handling heavy and potentially hazardous materials. This role often attracts younger, unskilled workers seeking stable employment and opportunities for advancement, with many positions considered entry-level requiring no formal education. On-the-job training equips these workers with the necessary skills to operate handling equipment and comply with safety protocols.
Daily responsibilities include loading and unloading shipments, inspecting goods for quality, and ensuring proper documentation and labeling. The work environment can be physically demanding, involving teamwork and collaboration with other staff members to ensure safety and efficiency. While the median earnings for these positions are around $36,770 per year, the job outlook is favorable, with a projected employment growth rate faster than average. Those interested in leadership roles may benefit from additional education in logistics or operations management.
Freight, Stock, and Material Mover
Snapshot
Career Cluster(s): Manufacturing, Marketing, Sales & Service, Transportation, Distribution & Logistics
Interests: Doing physical work, working with your hands, doing repetitive work
Earnings (Yearly Median): $36,770 per year $17.68 per hour
Employment & Outlook: 5% (Faster than average)
Entry-Level Education No formal education requirement
Related Work Experience None
On-the-job Training Short-term on-the-job training
Overview
Sphere of Work. Freight, stock, and material movers are general laborers who specialize in the transport and storage of material goods. Freight handlers and stock personnel work in a variety of industries, from transportation and commercial retailing to industrial supply, shipping, and manufacturing. While freight- and material-handling jobs are traditionally entry-level positions with little to no professional prerequisites, stock professionals must learn a wide variety of systems and technologies through on-the-job training in order to perform the job effectively.
Work Environment. Freight, stock, and material movers work indoors and outdoors in industrial warehouse settings and at airports, shipyards, and train depots. A vast majority of material movers work at major ports. Warehouses are major employers. Movement of freight and material requires a wide variety of interactions with other staff members to ensure the safety of both the material itself and the workers, who are transporting extremely heavy and potentially hazardous materials at a rapid pace. Workers may experience variations in weather and working conditions.
Occupation Interest. Freight, stock, and material movers are traditionally young, unskilled workers seeking reliable employment with the opportunity for advancement. Freight movement typically attracts young workers due to the physical nature of the position, though management and supervisory staff may be senior professionals who have advanced from the ranks of general material handlers. Many freight handlers are temporary employees who are using the position as a source of transitional income.
A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities. Freight, stock, and material movers spend their days loading and unloading materials, preparing material for transport, and unpacking and disseminating received shipments. The responsibilities of freight movers vary depending on their place of employment, time of shift, and specific industry.
Shipment preparation requires adherence to stock lists and logs, which indicate the contents of the shipments and their intended destinations. Material handlers are charged with properly identifying and demarcating containers with information relevant to their contents and intended recipients. Handlers are also required to label freight with information regarding its proper handling and storage and any potential hazards. This task is particularly crucial for material handlers working with perishable or hazardous materials.
Unloading shipments requires inspection of the contents of boxes, containers, and shipping crates to ensure that the quality and quantity of goods meet expectations. Material handlers are required to report any damage or loss of material that may have occurred during transport. Some are required to weigh incoming and outgoing shipments to guarantee that the exact amount of material arrives at its destination. Material handlers who work with liquefied or gaseous freight must be trained in the connection of transport machinery, such as fuel tankers, hoses, and other specialized storage or transport devices. Material movers who handle food items, medical and scientific supplies, and other perishable or biohazardous materials may also require specialized training.
Truck Driver Helpers (905.687-010). Truck Driver Helpers assist truck drivers in transporting and handling materials, merchandise, or equipment. They load and unload trucks by hand or by the use of hand-trucks and dollies.
Lumber Yard Workers (929.687-030). Lumber Yard Workers perform various tasks in lumberyards, such as loading and unloading trucks, stacking lumber, and loading dollies and pallets.
Work Environment
Immediate Physical Environment. Industrial and commercial settings predominate. Freight, stock, and material movers may be employed by warehouses, fuel companies, shipping companies, postal services, and industries such as agriculture, food processing, and transportation. Freight handlers work in transportation hubs, ports, factories, airports, and processing centers.
Human Environment. Freight handling traditionally requires strong collaboration skills. Material movers interact with fellow workers, vendors, and other professionals on a regular basis.
Technological Environment. Material movers use a variety of tools and other technologies related to shipping and materials management, from shipping software and material databases to hand tools such as box cutters, hand trucks, mechanical hoists, conveyors, and motorized vehicles such as forklifts and material transporters. They may use scanners to help track goods.
Education, Training, and Advancement
High School/Secondary. High school students can prepare for a career in freight and material management with courses in math, physics, physical science, and computer science. Exposure to extracurricular activities and scholastic sports can help foster the ability to work in a team. Completion of coursework related to machinery and industrial arts is also beneficial.
Postsecondary. Postsecondary education is not a requirement for the position, but professionals interested in a career arc that leads to management positions in the field would benefit from postsecondary training in database management, operations management, logistics, or human resources. Many managers in the transport industry are professionals who worked their way up from entry-level positions with a combination of professional advancement and continuing education.
Related Occupations
− Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector
Bibliography
“Hand Laborers and Material Movers.” Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, 17 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/hand-laborers-and-material-movers.htm. Accessed 22 Aug. 2024.
“Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023: 53-7062 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand.” Occupational Employment Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, 3 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes537062.htm. Accessed 22 Aug. 2024.