National
| Median wages (2008) |
$13.30 hourly, $27,660 annual |
| Employment (2006) |
769,000 employees |
| Projected growth (2006-2016) |
Slower than average (3% to 6%)
|
| Projected need (2006-2016) |
213,000 additional employees |
43-5071.00 - Shipping, Receiving, and Traffic Clerks
Verify and keep records on incoming and outgoing shipments. Prepare items for shipment. Duties include assembling, addressing, stamping, and shipping merchandise or material; receiving, unpacking, verifying and recording incoming merchandise or material; and arranging for the transportation of products.
Sample of reported job titles:
Receiving Clerk, Shipping Clerk, Shipping and Receiving Clerk, Receiver, Shipper, Shipping Coordinater, Traffic Manager, Warehouseman, Receiving Manager, Shipping/Receiving Clerk
Tasks
- Examine contents and compare with records, such as manifests, invoices, or orders, to verify accuracy of incoming or outgoing shipment.
- Prepare documents, such as work orders, bills of lading, and shipping orders to route materials.
- Record shipment data, such as weight, charges, space availability, and damages and discrepancies, for reporting, accounting, and recordkeeping purposes.
- Determine shipping method for materials, using knowledge of shipping procedures, routes, and rates.
- Deliver or route materials to departments, using work devices, such as handtruck, conveyor, or sorting bins.
- Pack, seal, label, and affix postage to prepare materials for shipping, using work devices such as hand tools, power tools, and postage meter.
- Confer and correspond with establishment representatives to rectify problems, such as damages, shortages, and nonconformance to specifications.
- Requisition and store shipping materials and supplies to maintain inventory of stock.
- Contact carrier representative to make arrangements and to issue instructions for shipping and delivery of materials.
- Compute amounts, such as space available, and shipping, storage, and demurrage charges, using calculator or price list.
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Tools & Technology
Tools used in this occupation:
| Bar code reader equipment — Handheld bar code scanning devices; High-speed/moving object scanning devices |
| Electronic toploading balances — Package scales |
| Forklifts |
| Packaging vacuum — Shrink wrap packaging vacuums |
| Radio frequency identification devices — Fixed radio frequency identification device RFID readers; Handheld scanners; Radio frequency identification RFID devices |
Technology used in this occupation:
| Enterprise application integration software — Electronic Data Interchange EDI systems; MSR Visual Exporter Enterprise Integrator |
| Label making software — Barcode labeling software; Endicia Internet Postage; Laser Substrates PostalXport |
| Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software — ADi SmartBOL; eLading Bill of Lading Software; Varsity ShipSoft Supply Chain Execution Suite; WindowBook Postal Package Partner |
| Optical character reader OCR or scanning software — Enterprise Systems RFID Data Management |
| Procurement software — Aestiva Purchase Order |
| 43-3061.00 |
Procurement Clerks |
| 43-5061.00 |
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks
|
| 43-5081.03 |
Stock Clerks- Stockroom, Warehouse, or Storage Yard |
| 43-5111.00 |
Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping |
| 43-9051.00 |
Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service |
| 49-9091.00 |
Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers |
| 53-6051.08 |
Freight and Cargo Inspectors
|
