What does a dock associate do?
Dock associate responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real dock associate resumes:
- Operate yard truck to manage dock needs, maintain safety and cleanliness of dock as well as yard.
- Load orders into trailers for shipment; coordinate cross-dock operations and load consolidations.
- Mow lawn, run errands, advise customers, and assist in loading and unloading the boats.
Dock associate skills and personality traits
We calculated that 19% of Dock Associates are proficient in Pallets, Electric Pallet Jack, and Safety Procedures. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Hand-eye coordination, and Listening skills.
We break down the percentage of Dock Associates that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Pallets, 19%
Required to push or pull a loaded pallet jack and/or hand truck with a minimum load of 70 lbs.
- Electric Pallet Jack, 16%
Operate forklift, cherry picker, electric pallet jack for loading and unloading materials.
- Safety Procedures, 14%
Completed all required logs and finalized invoices.-Followed all safety procedures for handling hazardous materials and following company steel standard guidelines.
- Sales Floor, 8%
Put out merchandise on sales floor and set up regular and seasonal displays of clothes out on sales floor.
- Load Trucks, 8%
Maintain a clean working environment, Unload/Load trucks, help arrange fixtures around the store, help customers when needed
- Hazardous Materials, 4%
Experienced in handling and transportation of hazardous materials.
Common skills that a dock associate uses to do their job include "pallets," "electric pallet jack," and "safety procedures." You can find details on the most important dock associate responsibilities below.
Customer-service skills. One of the key soft skills for a dock associate to have is customer-service skills. You can see how this relates to what dock associates do because "hand laborers and material movers who work with the public, such as grocery baggers or carwash attendants, must be pleasant and courteous to customers." Additionally, a dock associate resume shows how dock associates use customer-service skills: "organized shipping and receiving duties coordinated efficient store maintenance tasks assisted customers and employees as needed"
Hand-eye coordination. Many dock associate duties rely on hand-eye coordination. "most hand laborers and material movers use their arms and hands to manipulate objects or move objects into specific positions.," so a dock associate will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways dock associate responsibilities rely on hand-eye coordination: "operated with good hand eye coordination and communication with the forklift driver moving the boats for the customers. "
Listening skills. This is an important skill for dock associates to perform their duties. For an example of how dock associate responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "hand laborers and material movers follow instructions that a supervisor gives them." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a dock associate: "communicated company safety program and enforces safety rules and compliance with all government regulations. ".
Physical strength. For certain dock associate responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "physical strength." The day-to-day duties of a dock associate rely on this skill, as "some hand laborers and material movers must be able to lift and carry heavy objects." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what dock associates do: "operate a pallet jack to move pallets and physically unload individual boxes. "
The three companies that hire the most dock associates are:
- Averitt Express88 dock associates jobs
- Neovia Logistics16 dock associates jobs
- Saddle Creek Logistics Services9 dock associates jobs
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Compare different dock associates
Dock associate vs. Stage hand
Stagehands are skilled employees who work in the television, film, or theatre to assist other crew members set up the sound, lighting, and other equipment as well as helping performers change into their costumes. These employees are required to hang banners, update marquees, and handle other signage within the venue as it is important for any production. They must keep the venue clean by removing any trash in waste containers and sweeping the stage floor in between shows. Stagehands must also perform any adjustments on the set and run errands when necessary.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, dock associate responsibilities require skills like "pallets," "electric pallet jack," "safety procedures," and "shipping receiving." Meanwhile a typical stage hand has skills in areas such as "venues," "audio systems," "stage equipment," and "audio equipment." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
On average, stage hands reach similar levels of education than dock associates. Stage hands are 0.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Dock associate vs. Material handler
Material handlers are responsible for moving products, storing items, and managing supplies to proper shelf categories. A material handler also documents deliveries and ensures that all items for shipment are correct and free of any damage. Material handlers must also be a fast-learner to operate various warehouse equipment that would make the task more efficient and less time-consuming. A material handler must also check all the incoming deliveries to validate all purchases made. Material handlers must be able to analyze sheet orders and prepare the correct merchandise the client needs.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, dock associate responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "sales floor," "outbound freight," "cdl," and "electric marking tools." Meanwhile, a material handler has duties that require skills in areas such as "basic math," "forklifts," "math," and "customer service." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Material handlers may earn a higher salary than dock associates, but material handlers earn the most pay in the automotive industry with an average salary of $36,166. On the other hand, dock associates receive higher pay in the transportation industry, where they earn an average salary of $35,083.In general, material handlers achieve similar levels of education than dock associates. They're 0.3% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Dock associate vs. Warehouse labour
Warehouse labour workers are responsible for organizing shipment details by processing the correct quantity of orders, ensuring that the items are free from any defects and mislabeling. Warehouse labourers prepare the items for packaging efficiently, update the inventory records, and escalate production discrepancy to the management for immediate resolution. They should also strictly adhere to the production area's safety regulations, especially on loading and unloading items, and moving each package to appropriate shelves using warehouse equipment.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from dock associate resumes include skills like "hazardous materials," "outbound freight," "rf scanner," and "cdl," whereas a warehouse labour is more likely to list skills in "customer service," "basic math," "osha," and "cleanliness. "
Warehouse labours earn the highest salary when working in the technology industry, where they receive an average salary of $33,085. Comparatively, dock associates have the highest earning potential in the transportation industry, with an average salary of $35,083.Most warehouse labours achieve a similar degree level compared to dock associates. For example, they're 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Dock associate vs. Mover
Movers help people take or move things from one place to another through their physical strength. They work manually to help customers in their businesses or homes. Among the elements, they do include the preparation, loading, and unloading of items. They are also notable as material movers and hand laborers. Some movers drive a moving truck. However, they should not be burdened with any issue with a high value like jewelry and cash.
Types of dock associate
Updated January 8, 2025
