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Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand

The occupation Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand covers people who manually move freight, stock, luggage, or other materials, or perform other general labor. You may also need to maintain equipment storage areas to ensure that inventory is protected. Interest ratings put Realistic on top at 6.0 out of 7 and Conventional second, so the code is RCE and the day leans toward hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world. Plan on a few months to a year of learning on the job; O*NET labels this some preparation. Strength in coordination, active listening, and speaking helps most here. If you want hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world, keep it on your list. If you need creative work with room for original expression, it may feel thin.

What they do

Manually move freight, stock, luggage, or other materials, or perform other general labor. Includes all manual laborers not elsewhere classified.

Main tasks

  • Maintain equipment storage areas to ensure that inventory is protected.
  • Read work orders or receive oral instructions to determine work assignments or material or equipment needs.
  • Move freight, stock, or other materials to and from storage or production areas, loading docks, delivery vehicles, ships, or containers, by hand or using trucks, tractors, or other equipment.

Skills

  • Coordination
  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Monitoring
  • Time Management

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
  • You like clear rules and getting the details right.
  • You want to start work after a short stretch of training.
  • You are comfortable relying on coordination and active listening.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather stay away from physical, hands-on tasks.
  • You need creative expression to be a big part of your day. Artistic rates 1.0 out of 7 here.
  • You want a career built on years of advanced study.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code RCE takes the three highest, and Realistic comes first here.

Preparation

Some preparation. Most people start with a high school diploma, then learn from experienced coworkers over a few months to a year.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Some College Courses. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Laborer
  • Loader
  • Material Handler
  • Merchandise Pick Up Associate
  • Merchandise Receiving Associate

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.