What is a Ship Dock?

Material handlers, well, they handle materials. But you probably already knew that. Generally, the handling portion extends to moving, shelving, loading and unloading said materials. The materials can vary depending on what industry you're working in.

Materials aren't just shipped on a 9-5 schedule. The materials will arrive at any time of the day or night. So you may need to be prepared to work some overnight shifts. As a material handler, the only requirement to the job is being able to physically perform your job duties. So as long as you can do that, you won't have any problems handling material.

As sure as the sun comes up every morning, packages need to be delivered. If the packages don't make it to the truck on time then how are people supposed to get the unnecessary things they order from Amazon? With online shopping at our fingertips, this position is more important than ever.

Millions of people are depending on you to get their package to them in a timely fashion. Your job is to make sure packages are placed in the right places so that they go out on time. There is a bit of training on the job, but for the most part there is no formal education requirement. If being depended on by lots of people doesn't stress you out, then you should look into becoming a package handler.

Dockworkers are skilled employees who work in various facilities that demand freight services, such as meat and poultry processing facilities, retailers, companies in the industrial and construction fields, and other fast-paced, physically strenuous work environments. Their primary duties include comparing invoices for shipments to the actual products received, testing the contents of freight shipments, and weighing outgoing shipments.

They are also in charge of performing recordkeeping for damages or other inventory discrepancies, contacting other parties, such as freight companies or wholesalers to dictate instructions for outgoing and incoming parcels, and using a sorting, organization, or inventory system to process goods.

Dockworkers work a variety of shifts and schedules. Some facilities may require work during regular business hours, but other places may have evening, overnight, and weekend requirements for their workers. Skills necessary to excel in dock worker positions include using the appropriate in-house inventory program, if applicable. One must also have the physical strength and endurance to lift, move, and sort shipments. Applicants may also need forklift certification and experience with freight trailers and pallets. Previous related experience may be required or preferred, with which you can earn up to $15 per hour initially.