How to hire a shipping lead

How to hire a shipping lead, step by step

Here's a step-by-step shipping lead hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your shipping lead job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a shipping lead for hire on a part-time basis or as a 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 shipping lead 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 shipping lead that fits the bill.

   This list presents shipping lead salaries for various positions.

   Type of Shipping Lead	Description	Hourly rate
   Shipping Lead	Material recording clerks track product information in order to keep businesses and supply chains on schedule. They ensure proper scheduling, recordkeeping, and inventory control.	$13-24
   Receiving Coordinator	Receiving coordinators keep records and verify the contents of shipping data. It requires arranging transportation of products as well as preparing incoming and outgoing products for shipping... Show more	$12-19
   Receiving Supervisor	A receiving supervisor manages and directs the activities of teams receiving and handling deliveries and items. Receiving supervisors coordinate and support the operations in their department... Show more	$13-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Shipping Receiving
   • Logistics
   • Safety Procedures
   • RF
   • Inventory Control
   • ISO
   • Load Trucks
   • Electric Pallet Jack
   • Customer Orders
   • Cycle Counts
   • BOL
   • LTL
   • Computer System
   • Warehouse Operations

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage international shipping - coordinate documentation, commercial invoices, letters of credit, NAFTA, certificates of origin.
   • Maintain compliance with company policies, safety standards, good housekeeping practices, ISO, OSHA, and other government regulations.
   • Used FedEx, WorldShip, Endicia, and DHL to ship worldwide.
   • Maintain hazmat records as necessary.
   • Produce ISO work instruction manual for the shipping process.
   • Perform quality checks and inspections to generate QC reports.

   More shipping lead duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your shipping lead job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A shipping lead salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a shipping lead in North Carolina may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level shipping lead usually earns less than a senior-level shipping lead. Additionally, a shipping lead with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average shipping lead salary

   $38,691yearly

   $18.60 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level shipping lead salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average shipping lead salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$53,248	$26
   2	California	$45,748	$22
   3	Oregon	$42,769	$21
   4	Arizona	$42,304	$20
   5	Minnesota	$41,779	$20
   6	Massachusetts	$41,352	$20
   7	Illinois	$40,017	$19
   8	Wisconsin	$39,982	$19
   9	Ohio	$39,373	$19
   10	Indiana	$36,840	$18
   11	Virginia	$35,672	$17
   12	Georgia	$34,487	$17
   13	Tennessee	$34,131	$16
   14	Texas	$33,806	$16
   15	Missouri	$33,692	$16
   16	North Carolina	$32,791	$16
   17	South Carolina	$32,600	$16
   18	Florida	$32,516	$16

   Average shipping lead salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Westinghouse Appliances Australia	$53,932	$25.93
   2	BP America Inc	$51,009	$24.52
   3	BD	$49,681	$23.89
   4	FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA	$48,165	$23.16	2
   5	NatureSweet	$46,535	$22.37
   6	Idaho Forest Group	$45,622	$21.93
   7	Ply Gem Holdings	$43,976	$21.14
   8	CVS Health	$42,995	$20.67	52
   9	International Paper	$42,954	$20.65	11
   10	Sauder's Eggs	$42,230	$20.30
   11	Cargill	$41,982	$20.18	4
   12	1-800-Flowers.com	$41,204	$19.81	2
   13	WestRock	$41,201	$19.81	9
   14	Ryder System	$40,940	$19.68	4
   15	Post Holdings	$40,720	$19.58
   16	Nucor	$40,676	$19.56	1
   17	Highline	$40,615	$19.53	1
   18	Koch Industries	$40,497	$19.47	2
   19	FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies	$40,417	$19.43	1
   20	Greif	$40,260	$19.36	3

4. Writing a shipping lead job description

   A good shipping lead job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a shipping lead job description:

   Shipping lead job description example

   New hires may be eligible for a $1000 SIGN ON/PERFECT ATTENDANCE BONUS.

   DAILY PAY IS AVAILABLE!

   Highline Warren is currently seeking an experienced Shipping Lead-Retail.

   As a Retail Shipping Lead, you will provide leadership to the Warehouse Associates as they perform distribution-related processes. This is an opening shift position with a start time of 7 AM.

   Key Responsibilities

   • Assist the supervisor in promoting and facilitating a safe work environment for all employees and take appropriate action to correct unsafe acts and procedures.
   • Organize and direct workflow for the assigned team when the supervisor is unavailable.
   • Ensure excellent customer satisfaction through on-time delivery and achieving accuracy metrics.
   • Motivate and assist the assigned team in meeting and exceeding goals and metrics.
   • Move materials within a warehouse and assist in other distribution activities as directed by the supervisor or manager.

   Basic Qualifications

   • High School Diploma or equivalent
   • 3 years of distribution experience and 2 years of experience in a Warehouse Lead position

   Skills and Attributes

   • Display leadership and tactical execution skills
   • The ability to motivate a team
   • Technical knowledge
   • The ability to lead and develop team and team members

   Company DescriptionHighline Warren is North America's premier distributor of automotive oils, chemicals and consumable products, offering strategic manufacturing and market exclusives such as MAG 1®, Prime Guard®, Rain-X® Windshield Wash and BlueDevil®. With an ever-growing brand portfolio, multiple manufacturing and distribution facilities across North America and investments into new capabilities and technology, Highline Warren is able to service 99% of the United States more efficiently and effectively than ever before. For more information, please visit: www.highlinewarren.com

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find shipping leads 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 shipping lead job on Zippia to find and recruit shipping lead 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 shipping leads, 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 shipping lead

   Once you've decided on a perfect shipping lead candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   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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