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Hello again, and welcome to warehouse and operations as a career. I’m Marty and I’m excited to be hosting this week’s episode. This week we’re presenting our 208th weekly podcast, four years to the week. I had planned on producing 50 shows, I just wanted to share how exciting the industry can be and talk about all the opportunities Operations, Warehousing and Transportation could bring to us and our families. I wanted it to be a discussion about the positions and a day in the life of kind of thing. We wanted to steer away from all the corporate terminology and principals and try to convey the messages using our own words, hearing from those actually doing the tasks and living their dreams. The word sharing and experiences kept coming up when I was putting it together!
Well, thanks to all the participation from each of you, our listeners, and all the questions and topics you’ve ask us to research or speak to for you, here we are, at episode 208. And I appreciate each of you, I love putting them together each week and vow to keep them honest and commercial free for as long as we’re doing them, which will be as long as we keep getting input from the group!
So, 3 weeks ago I had this conversation with a young candidate. It went something like this! Which is better, Inbound Jobs or Outbound Jobs. I am wanting to start a new career. I was laid off from my service job and I’ve been looking at warehouse work. There seems to be a lot of different types of warehouses though and what position is best. Well as you can imagine we ended up having about a 90-minute interview or discussion. Even for me, I must confess, I went a little overboard. I climbed up on my soap box and started preaching my passion!
I was thinking what better week to do a brief overview of warehousing or review of some of the positions, and the opportunities for advancement, and talk a little about our industry. If you have any friends or family out of work right now, maybe there looking at starting over career wise, I appreciate you sharing the podcast with them, maybe ask them to subscribe. It’s all about everyone being successful right!
Ok, yes, warehousing is a pretty broad statement. We’ve talked about the three types or divisions of the supply chain several times. In simple terms you have Manufacturing, where raw materials are turned into something by man and machine. Then the production facilities put things together or produces the end products that the consumer will use. Then we have the Distribution Center. here we receive the produced goods or product, store them, and the distribute them to the end users, or us the consumers.
Although each of these industries or facilities are very different, they are still a warehouse! Of course, they each will have some specialized positions or tasks but just speaking to the Inbound and Outbound aspects of each, they all perform these tasks and have most of the positions to move freight through and across the docks. With all that being said let’s review’em
We’ll start with the Inbound side of things. Let’s remember that generally speaking, our manufacturing and production facilities may run inbound and outbound on the same shift. Think more in bulk terms. Although they may run 1, 2 or even 3 shifts, things won’t be quite as separated as the distribution fields. Even some distribution facilities can manage the outbound working a long side the inbound freight. But the larger the facility or the cases moved through the building becomes the more difficult that’ll become. So, as we’re talking about the positions today it is possible to think of them as just that. Inbound job tasks that you’ll find at most all warehouse facilities.
Let’s start where it all starts. The Unloader. Whither you are an unloader at a Manufacturing, Production or distribution center our products or goods have to be brought into the building. Trucks, containers or rail cars will be staged at the door and it is our job to make sure that the freight is unloaded, separated by item number, properly stacked on good pallets in the proper configuration or ti and hi for the receiver to get them added to the inventory. We may be responsible to shrink wrap our pallets and have some regulatory processes to follow such as trailer condition reports, temperature recordings, HACCP guidelines to follow and any internal reports our company requires. This position will usually introduce us to equipment usage also. It’s a perfect position to get a little experience operating an electric pallet jack and even manual units. Of course, we will never operate any type of machinery or warehouse equipment until we have been trained and certified to do so right? Our employer should offer us our PIT or powered industrial truck training and certify us to their dock. This is a great position to step into the industry with. From here one of our next moves may be the pallet runner or maybe even inventory control.
Now that our freight is unloaded and staged in the assigned area on the dock our Receiver will match everything up to the purchase order, verify everything on the bill of laden from the carrier and sign acceptance for the freight. Yep, he or she is literally writing a check and paying for the load. This position carries a lot of responsibility. Any overages, shortages or damages that are not notated and claimed on the BOL will be paid for. It is his or her job to communicate any issues with their merchandising departments and any claims agents assigned to them. The receiver works closely with inventory control, the merchandisers and warehouse management teams. Our next step from being a receiver can be into any one of those areas. This is a perfect task for that detailed and process driven individual. The receiver is typically promoted from within too, from a fork driver or order selector. The receiver must be familiar with all the freight in the building. I always enjoyed receiving.
We spoke about the pallet runner a bit ago. After the receiver has received the inventory, checked that it is properly stacked and secure and on good wood he or she will tag it and it is ready for us to haul it into the aisles for the putaway drivers to get it into the racks. A pallet runner must be proficient at operating the electric rider pallet jack or the dock stocker forklift. And we will need to be a focused and safety driven individual. We’ll be picking up received pallets from the front of the docks and running them to every corner of the warehouse and down every aisle all day long. We’ll be working closely with the forklift drivers. It’s our job to properly stage the pallets where they are assessable to the fork operators yet in a manner that they can maneuver around them. Our next steps can be into selection or even being a forklift operator.
As we follow a case through the warehouse the next position, we’d see is the putaway forklift operator. As a putaway fork driver we will be lifting, staging and or placing pallets in the pick locations or up in the reserves racking. This being another skilled position of responsibility will usually be hired from within. I enjoyed my time on the lift. It is a great career position and a team building position. Whither our product is brought into the aisles for us or we will be running out to the docks to retrieve it we’ll need to be focused on our task at all times. The front docks are busy, and safety is our priority one. If our facility uses a strong directed WMS we’ll probably scan the pallet tag, it’ll tell us the location to take it to, we’ll place it between the cross bars securely, while checking the condition of the pallet. When we have successfully racked the pallet, we’ll scan the slot barcode or the level indicator to confirm its placement. Then we’ll go get another one! Another one of my favorite jobs, I enjoyed my stint as a putaway driver.
Next, we’ll switch over to the outbound side of things!
First up would be the order selector position. This seems to be the goal for a new boot. I get asked every week “how do I get to be an order selector”! Usually candidates see advertisement for the pay rate and that’s the job they want!
It is an attractive position. It pays well. And it is some of the hardest work you will ever do! If you are a high energy, fast paced and motivated individual that likes sticking to themselves and making money this is the position for you! On the other hand, if you like gossiping and talking, like the hourly pay base systems, well, you may not be a successful order selector. In the high productivity distribution settings, an order selector may be on an activity-based pay system or a base plus cases per hour incentive pay rate. They move, working smarter and not harder. I know I keep liking every job task, but I thoroughly enjoyed being an order selector. Challenging and rewarding at the same time!
Next would be the replenishment forklift driver. This position will be directed to go to the reserves and bring down the pallet of goods to replace or replenish the pick location so the selectors can complete their orders. Now, this is a great position to learn the forklift with. I know it sounds crazy as the outbound shift is usually the more congested shift, more people and more equipment. But that’s what makes it the perfect learning ground. I mean, things are moving slow. Theres no long stretches of travel. We’re very focused because we’re in just a few aisles for the whole shift. It gives us plenty of time to improve our skills and get experience. Our next step may be into the putaway task or maybe a frontline management role.
A few more roles we’ll see in the warehouse are Sanitation, Inventory Control and the Utility or building maintenance positions. Their all-important and necessary positions. I have many friends that have made a career within the sanitation department. With all the regulatory concerns you learn about and the ability to follow procedures and processes regarding chemical usage and the daily Maintenance list, there are a host of advancements in the field.
And Inventory control, if you love numbers and enjoy being the detective, this jobs for you! We’ve done a couple of different episodes on Inventory control, check them out. And yes, I spent about 2 years on the warehouse side of IC, absolutely loved it!
I wanted to mention the Utility or building Maintenace task really quick. if you are mechanically inclined these positions are easy to get into as a general labor hand. Once were in the door; all we need to do is prove ourselves and advance ourselves into whatever position we’ve planned on and set our goal to be!
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again! Operations is where it’s at. The warehouse and transportation fields have so much to offer us and our families. The career positions are there, and the advancement opportunities are available for anyone that wants them.
Well, that’ll wrap us another week for us here at WAOC. Thanks again for listening and share the podcast with a friend, ask them to subscribe too and we’ll do this another 4 years! Until next week, be safe and share a safety thought with a peer!