The main duties of this job include the following:
Load, unload and move products and materials by hand or using basic material handling equipment
Move household appliances and furniture onto and off moving trucks or vans
Perform other material handling activities such as counting, weighing, sorting, packing and unpacking.
Operate winches and other loading devices to load and unload materials onto and off trucks, railway cars and loading docks of warehouses and industrial establishments
Operate industrial trucks, tractors, loaders and other equipment to transport materials to and from transportation vehicles and loading docks and to store and retrieve materials in warehouses
Connect hoses or pipes and operate equipment to load and unload liquid petroleum, chemical or other products into or from tank cars, tank trucks or storage tanks
Operate equipment to dump materials such as coal, ore and grain into or to remove materials from railway cars, trucks or other vehicles
Operate conveyors and equipment to transfer grain or other materials from transportation vehicles to elevators, bins or other storage areas
May perform other activities, such as opening containers and crates, filling warehouse orders, assisting in taking inventory and weighing and checking materials.
Employment requirements
Some secondary school education may be required.
Physical strength is required for manual material handlers who work with heavy materials.
