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Freight handler vs warehouseman

The differences between freight handlers and warehousemen can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a warehouseman has an average salary of $36,022, which is higher than the $35,944 average annual salary of a freight handler.

The top three skills for a freight handler include basic math, pallets and math. The most important skills for a warehouseman are pallets, safety regulations, and electric pallet jack.

Freight handler vs warehouseman overview

Freight HandlerWarehouseman
Yearly salary$35,944$36,022
Hourly rate$17.28$17.32
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs67,422158,488
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 54%High School Diploma, 46%
Average age4040
Years of experience--

What does a freight handler do?

A freight handler is responsible for monitoring the distribution and delivery of the freight, unloading and storing materials, and verifying the accurate information of the freight records. Freight handlers inspect the condition and quality of the goods and materials before loading into the distribution trucks for shipment. They also operate various warehouse tools and equipment to transport merchandise from the vehicle to different parts of the facility. A freight handler must be highly organized, especially in checking the correct tagging of items and conducting safety checks.

What does a warehouseman do?

A warehouseman or warehouse worker is the person who assists with the inventory, shipping, and receiving of items in warehouses. Warehousemen receive and process incoming materials and stocks, along with picking and filling orders from the store. They manage, organize, and retrieve supplies and others. These workers need to have skills in speed, accuracy, and prioritizing tasks on site. They should also be equipped with skills in forklift, loading, and general labor.

Freight handler vs warehouseman salary

Freight handlers and warehousemen have different pay scales, as shown below.

Freight HandlerWarehouseman
Average salary$35,944$36,022
Salary rangeBetween $28,000 And $44,000Between $30,000 And $42,000
Highest paying CityBillerica, MA-
Highest paying stateAlaska-
Best paying companyR+L Carriers-
Best paying industryTransportation-

Differences between freight handler and warehouseman education

There are a few differences between a freight handler and a warehouseman in terms of educational background:

Freight HandlerWarehouseman
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 54%High School Diploma, 46%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Freight handler vs warehouseman demographics

Here are the differences between freight handlers' and warehousemen' demographics:

Freight HandlerWarehouseman
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 88.2% Female, 11.8%Male, 93.8% Female, 6.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 13.6% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 5.2% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 21.0% Asian, 5.5% White, 52.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage5%5%

Differences between freight handler and warehouseman duties and responsibilities

Freight handler example responsibilities.

  • Manage temporary staff doing warehouse work and train and test them in order to receive forklift certification per OSHA.
  • Dock work then get CDL and then go to the road
  • Work on the dock loading and unloading truck and backup CDL driver.
  • Ship order via FedEx on a daily basis and perform an inventory and cycle count when need.
  • Distribute break loads, freight and merchandise on inbound and outbound side of the LTL freight terminal.
  • Job include handling all types of LTL freight with a forklift while unloading and loading trailers for delivery.
  • Show more

Warehouseman example responsibilities.

  • Load and unload hazardous materials for shipment to/from various states and countries verifying proper HAZMAT documents.
  • Follow all safety precautions during driving and work with GPS system for mapping.
  • Conduct all operations to diminish unfavorable environmental impacts for HAZMAT as outlined by OSHA.
  • Certify to operate different types of forklifts, RF scanner skills, cycle counting, shipping receiving ,
  • Scan outboard shipments using an RF scanner to calculate product count; assure proper shipment quantity and destination.
  • Warehouse position/delivery driver with CDL.
  • Show more

Freight handler vs warehouseman skills

Common freight handler skills
  • Basic Math, 28%
  • Pallets, 21%
  • Math, 12%
  • Hazardous Materials, 10%
  • Manual Equipment, 7%
  • Hand Trucks, 3%
Common warehouseman skills
  • Pallets, 11%
  • Safety Regulations, 9%
  • Electric Pallet Jack, 9%
  • Basic Math, 8%
  • Forklift Operation, 5%
  • Inventory Control, 5%

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