Material handlers

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

• Load, unload and move products and materials by hand or using basic material handling equipment

• Move household appliances and furniture onto and off moving trucks or vans

• Perform other material handling activities such as counting, weighing, sorting, packing and unpacking.

• Operate winches and other loading devices to load and unload materials onto and off trucks, railway cars and loading docks of warehouses and industrial establishments

• Operate industrial trucks, tractors, loaders and other equipment to transport materials to and from transportation vehicles and loading docks and to store and retrieve materials in warehouses

• Connect hoses or pipes and operate equipment to load and unload liquid petroleum, chemical or other products into or from tank cars, tank trucks or storage tanks

• Operate equipment to dump materials such as coal, ore and grain into or to remove materials from railway cars, trucks or other vehicles

• Operate conveyors and equipment to transfer grain or other materials from transportation vehicles to elevators, bins or other storage areas

• May perform other activities, such as opening containers and crates, filling warehouse orders, assisting in taking inventory and weighing and checking materials.

• Some secondary school education may be required.

• Physical strength is required for manual material handlers who work with heavy materials.