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Freight associate vs unloader

The differences between freight associates and unloaders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an unloader has an average salary of $32,885, which is higher than the $32,103 average annual salary of a freight associate.

The top three skills for a freight associate include sales floor, cleanliness and customer service. The most important skills for an unloader are pallets, work ethic, and customer service.

Freight associate vs unloader overview

Freight AssociateUnloader
Yearly salary$32,103$32,885
Hourly rate$15.43$15.81
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs6,47763,202
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 40%High School Diploma, 59%
Average age4040
Years of experience--

What does a freight associate do?

The typical tasks of a freight associate include stocking merchandise on shelves, organizing the sales floor, and providing excellent customer service. Freight associates load and unload trucks and transfer the items from the receiving area to the store. Some of them may operate heavy equipment like forklifts. They may work on the critical functions of equipment for proper maintenance. Also, they maintain the cleanliness of the sales floor and the work area on a regular basis.

What does an unloader do?

An unloader is responsible for monitoring truck deliveries and managing all goods and merchandise to the store. Unloaders verify the deliveries' correct quantity by checking the receipts and ensuring its quality for customers' purchase. They respond to the customers' inquiries and concerns, facilitate the shelf arrangement of the products, sort items, and help with the store's organization and cleanliness. An unloader must have excellent time-management skills and the ability to multitask to perform various tasks in the fast-paced industry.

Freight associate vs unloader salary

Freight associates and unloaders have different pay scales, as shown below.

Freight AssociateUnloader
Average salary$32,103$32,885
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $39,000Between $26,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City-Meridian, ID
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-Land O'Lakes
Best paying industry-Transportation

Differences between freight associate and unloader education

There are a few differences between a freight associate and an unloader in terms of educational background:

Freight AssociateUnloader
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 40%High School Diploma, 59%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Freight associate vs unloader demographics

Here are the differences between freight associates' and unloaders' demographics:

Freight AssociateUnloader
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 75.0% Female, 25.0%Male, 87.3% Female, 12.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 13.0% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 6.0% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%Black or African American, 14.1% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 5.3% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage5%5%

Differences between freight associate and unloader duties and responsibilities

Freight associate example responsibilities.

  • Operate a wide variety of lift equipment.
  • Work at the MSP airport sorting and loading air containers to assure proper delivery.
  • Job duties include receiving and unloading freight, pulling pallets to the floor after separating.
  • Specialize in use of RF equipment to determine sign needs by fixture for particular ad events.
  • Stack empty CHEP pallets in racks and regular pallets on dock floor at end of shift.
  • Perform inventory duties with the RF hand scanner, which include research, outs, and rigs.
  • Show more

Unloader example responsibilities.

  • Prepare pallets by following prescribe stacking arrangement and properly tagging pallets.
  • Volunteer work for kohl's cares events.

Freight associate vs unloader skills

Common freight associate skills
  • Sales Floor, 42%
  • Cleanliness, 42%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Sort Merchandise, 3%
  • Store Merchandise, 2%
  • Math, 1%
Common unloader skills
  • Pallets, 24%
  • Work Ethic, 18%
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Electric Pallet Jack, 9%
  • Tractor Trailer, 6%
  • Safety Procedures, 4%

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