What does a shipping and receiving associate do?

Usually, shipping and receiving associates work in retail or a warehouse to manage the incoming and outgoing materials and products. Shipping and receiving associates keep records of all the materials received and shipped. They develop the mailing labels as well as the shipping documents. It is their job to make sure that orders are filled appropriately. The skills necessary for this job include basic math, communication, organization, and attention to detail.
Shipping and receiving associate responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real shipping and receiving associate resumes:
- Transport goods from racks, shelves, and vehicles using carts, dollies, hand trucks or other moving equipment.
- Keep strict batch records according to FDA, USDA and DEA mandates for QA purposes.
- Exceed daily pickups for endoscopes from FedEx utilizing company van.
- Coordinate inbound/outbound cargo with commercial carriers such as FedEx and DHL shipments as necessary.
- Coordinate early drop off times and late pick up times with FedEx in order to fully optimize production time.
- End of day confirm BOL's with freight/pallets on containers, place BOL's in containers for drivers for delivery.
- Maintain clean and sanitary operating environment; responsible for maintaining cleanliness of receiving area including loading dock and trash areas.
- Distribute and rotate inventory using pallet jacks to replenish stock locations.
- Receive all warehouse components into AS400 system, fill, file and scan receiving inbound reports and bill of ladings.
- Enter payments in QuickBooks for accounts receivables/create invoices and make bank deposits.
- Enter all inventory into quickbooks and make sure it stays up to date.
- Operate AS400 shipping system efficiently and accurately.
- Follow procedures for damage merchandise and UPC problems
Shipping and receiving associate skills and personality traits
We calculated that 23% of Shipping And Receiving Associates are proficient in Shipping Receiving, Pallets, and Customer Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Customer-service skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Shipping And Receiving Associates that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Shipping Receiving, 23%
Freight Handler / Shipping Receiving Associate 2/ 2004 to 2/ 2005 Process incoming shipments and prepare outgoing orders.
- Pallets, 11%
Distributed and rotated inventory using pallet jacks to replenish stock locations.
- Customer Service, 10%
Tasked with providing excellent customer service, coordinating with merchants regarding inventory and space details and maintaining appearance of merchandise.
- Hand Tools, 4%
Build racks and baskets using hand tools and operate electric pallet jack and sit down forklift when needed
- Logistics, 4%
Practiced logistics skills when organizing and executing daily shipments.
- Computer System, 4%
Demonstrated ability to run all computer systems and programs needed to operate department.
"shipping receiving," "pallets," and "customer service" are among the most common skills that shipping and receiving associates use at work. You can find even more shipping and receiving associate responsibilities below, including:
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for a shipping and receiving associate to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what shipping and receiving associates do because "material recording clerks are frequently in contact with suppliers, vendors, or managers and need to convey their company’s needs effectively." Additionally, a shipping and receiving associate resume shows how shipping and receiving associates use communication skills: "use pallets skills used communication skills"
Customer-service skills. Many shipping and receiving associate duties rely on customer-service skills. "material recording clerks may interact with customers in order to respond to problems or complaints.," so a shipping and receiving associate will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways shipping and receiving associate responsibilities rely on customer-service skills: "maintained accurate inventory in a warehouse environment * coordinated on-time delivery of customer orders"
Detail oriented. This is an important skill for shipping and receiving associates to perform their duties. For an example of how shipping and receiving associate responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "material and product inspecting clerks must pay attention to detail when checking items for defects, some of which are small and difficult to spot." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a shipping and receiving associate: "executed detailed receiving and cycle counts researching all variances. ".
Math skills. A big part of what shipping and receiving associates do relies on "math skills." You can see how essential it is to shipping and receiving associate responsibilities because "material recording clerks may need to calculate shipping costs or take measurements." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical shipping and receiving associate tasks: "detail oriented & strong math skills. "
The three companies that hire the most shipping and receiving associates are:
- Americold26 shipping and receiving associates jobs
- AutoNation23 shipping and receiving associates jobs
- Kelly Services13 shipping and receiving associates jobs
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Shipping and receiving associate vs. Warehouse clerk
A warehouse clerk is an employee responsible for the process of ordered goods while keeping the warehouse well-organized and clean. Warehouse clerks accept company products' deliveries, inspect them for any damages, and store them accordingly in the warehouse. Companies require their warehouse clerks to have many skills, such as an operating forklift or other machinery to transport large and heavy goods. Warehouse clerks must also possess abilities like knowledge in Warehouse Management Software programs and detailed-oriented capable of noticing small errors in orders.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, shipping and receiving associate responsibilities require skills like "inventory control," "good communication," "delivery vehicle," and "space availability." Meanwhile a typical warehouse clerk has skills in areas such as "work ethic," "strong work ethic," "data entry," and "patients." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Warehouse clerks really shine in the transportation industry with an average salary of $32,595. Comparatively, shipping and receiving associates tend to make the most money in the technology industry with an average salary of $35,683.warehouse clerks tend to reach similar levels of education than shipping and receiving associates. In fact, warehouse clerks are 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Shipping and receiving associate vs. Logistics clerk
Logistics clerks are professionals who are responsible for regulating the supply chain of an organization by performing administrative tasks such as monitoring inventory levels, arranging transportation methods, and managing shipping schedules. These clerks are required to ensure that electronic or paper files are kept accurately and up-to-date so that they can track orders and answer billing questions. They must assist in inspecting orders that arrived in their facility so that they can identify damage and input information into their inventory records. Logistic clerks must also handle replacement for incorrect or damaged goods.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real shipping and receiving associate resumes. While shipping and receiving associate responsibilities can utilize skills like "pallets," "hand tools," "logistics," and "good communication," logistics clerks use skills like "data entry," "freight bills," "delivery schedules," and "reconcile inventory."
Logistics clerks earn a higher average salary than shipping and receiving associates. But logistics clerks earn the highest pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $35,696. Additionally, shipping and receiving associates earn the highest salaries in the technology with average pay of $35,683 annually.In general, logistics clerks achieve similar levels of education than shipping and receiving associates. They're 1.9% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Shipping and receiving associate vs. Inventory control specialist
Inventory control specialist ensures company inventory is accurate in all levels to increase the company's profitability. The specialist should maintain stable stocks and should manage the procurement of inventories. He/She or she is responsible for managing the flow of inventory in and out together with the shipment, package, and the storage activities then record them accurately for audits and reporting to the management. Specialists are often employed by various industries. They usually work in warehouses or in local retail locations.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a shipping and receiving associate is likely to be skilled in "shipping receiving," "pallets," "hand tools," and "logistics," while a typical inventory control specialist is skilled in "inventory control procedures," "work ethic," "stock merchandise," and "wms."
Inventory control specialists earn the best pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $36,114. Shipping and receiving associates earn the highest pay from the technology industry, with an average salary of $35,683.Most inventory control specialists achieve a similar degree level compared to shipping and receiving associates. For example, they're 1.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Shipping and receiving associate vs. Inventory specialist
An Inventory Specialist's responsibility is to oversee the inventory in a warehouse or establishment. Most of the tasks of an Inventory Specialist revolve around monitoring the requisition, storage, and deliveries of supplies and merchandise to ensure the quality and quantity of the products. Moreover, the Inventory Specialist also has the responsibility to coordinate with store management when issues arise, train newly hired staff to be a valuable part of the workforce, and provide inventory reports and records to the administration.
Types of shipping and receiving associate
Updated January 8, 2025











