How to hire a freight receiver

How to hire a freight receiver, step by step

Here's a step-by-step freight receiver hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a freight receiver job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new freight receiver
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a freight receiver, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a freight receiver to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a freight receiver that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of freight receivers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Freight Receiver	Description	Hourly rate
   Freight Receiver	Hand laborers and material movers manually move freight, stock, or other materials. Others feed or remove material to and from machines, clean vehicles, pick up unwanted household goods, and pack materials for moving.	$12-20
   Loader/Unloader	A loader's responsibilities regularly involve manual work such as lifting and transporting objects to vehicles like trucks and vans. The tasks of a loader may also include operating various kinds of machines, maintain accurate documentation and inventory, sort and organize goods while examining their quality and quantity, and devise strategies on how to expand space capacity... Show more	$12-18
   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... Show more	$12-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Unload Trucks
   • Critical Functions
   • Sales Floor
   • Stock Location
   • UPC
   • Customer Availability
   • Safety Standards
   • RF
   • POS
   • Customer Demand

   Responsibilities:

   • Replenish floor merchandise and/or store all additional merchandise in backroom using forklifts and order pickers.
   • Verify receipt of propane and welding gas deliveries.
   • Price change merchandise via RF scanner and build displays.
   • Assist customers with loading groceries, stage merchandise for customer purchase
   • Use store first-phone for inventory locating and on-hand accounting.Home Depot ,
   • Stage merchandise and key receive products by use of RF scanner.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your freight receiver job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A freight receiver can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, freight receivers' average salary in alabama is 42% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level freight receivers 40% less than senior-level freight receivers.
   • Certifications. A freight receiver with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a freight receiver's salary.

   Average freight receiver salary

   $15.77hourly

   $32,800 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level freight receiver salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing a freight receiver job description

   A freight receiver job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a freight receiver job description:

   Freight receiver job description example

   **Position Purpose:**
   
   Associates in store Operations positions ensure the store is stocked and ready for business every day, as well as provide merchandise loading assistance to our customers. They load and unload trucks, move material from the receiving area throughout the store, may operate forklifts and may perform critical functions for maintaining proper on-hands and pricing for our customers. Direct customer interaction is frequently required for some positions and excellent customer service skills are required. Operations position types may include Bay Integrity Associates, Freight Team Associates, Lot Associates, RTV, and Receiving Associates.
   
   **Major Tasks, Responsibilities & Key Accountabilities:**
   
   + Examines and inspects stock items for wear or defects, reporting any damage to supervisors
   
   + Follows all loss prevention policies and procedures
   
   + Marks stock items using identification, and stock location based on turnover, environmental factors, and physical capabilities of facilities
   
   + Stocks merchandise onto shelves for customer availability; requires sorting and staging of merchandise to sales floor
   
   + Builds end caps and promotions
   
   + Provides fast, friendly service
   
   + Approach customers to determine if they need help loading product into vehicles
   
   + Loads customer products into vehicles
   
   + Unloading merchandise using designated equipment
   
   + Understanding carrier unload processes for efficient freight management
   
   + Identifying and reading vendor packing slips, carrier shipping documents, UPC labels and other receiving documents and comparing to purchase orders to ensure accuracy **Nature and Scope:**
   
   + Due to forklifts and other heavy equipment traveling through the store, temporary cracks may appear in the floor, causing an uneven walking surface
   
   + The warehouse environment can be dusty and noisy
   
   + Doors are frequently open, causing drafts and interior temperature changes
   
   + Floors around work area may become slippery during wet weather conditions
   
   + May have to handle merchandise and work with tools with sharp edges
   
   + Passing forklifts emit gas fumes
   
   + Tools, supplies and related merchandise may contain hazardous materials
   
   **Environmental Job Requirements:**
   
   **Environment:**
   
   Usually in a comfortable environment but with regular exposure to factors causing moderate physical discomfort from such things as dust, fumes or odors
   
   **Travel:**
   
   Typically requires overnight travel less than 10% of the time
   
   We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find freight receivers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your freight receiver job on Zippia to find and recruit freight receiver candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit freight receivers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new freight receiver

   Once you have selected a candidate for the freight receiver position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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