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Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand

SOC 53-7062.00Job Zone 2 · Some Preparationv.26.05

Context coveredThis framework covers manual and equipment-assisted material moving, freight handling, inventory management, and workplace safety in warehouse, distribution center, loading dock, and freight facility environments.

Sources:O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.SkillsCrosswalkSkillsCrosswalk — O*NET enrichment + adjacency index. Opens in new tab.
Emerging
Entry / Apprentice
  1. Oral instructions and work orders — read and interpret under direct supervision to identify assigned tasks and material needs on a warehouse floor.
  2. Hand trucks and dollies — operate under close guidance to move freight and stock between storage areas and loading docks.
  3. Basic storage areas — maintain organization and cleanliness under supervisor direction to protect inventory from damage.
  4. Personal protective equipment — select and wear correctly at the start of each shift in compliance with workplace safety protocols.
  5. Static and trunk strength — apply safely when lifting and carrying boxes up to posted weight limits on a distribution center floor.
  6. Inventory labels and barcodes — scan and verify using handheld devices under supervision to support accurate stock records.
  7. Loading dock procedures — follow step-by-step protocols to assist in receiving and staging incoming freight shipments.
  8. Near vision and selective attention — use to detect damaged goods or mislabeled packages during routine sorting tasks.
  9. Team coordination — participate cooperatively with co-workers when moving large or heavy items that require multi-person handling.
  10. Inventory management software — enter basic data under guidance to log received or relocated stock in a warehouse system.
Developing
Mid-level / Established
  1. Work orders and oral instructions — interpret and execute independently to determine material assignments and prioritize daily tasks in a busy freight facility.
  2. Forklifts and pallet jacks — operate with reduced oversight to transport freight, stock, and materials between production areas, storage, and delivery vehicles.
  3. Equipment storage areas — inspect and maintain on a recurring schedule to ensure inventory protection and compliance with organization standards.
  4. Multilimb coordination — apply consistently when simultaneously steering material-moving equipment and managing load stability on warehouse ramps.
  5. Repetitive lifting and carrying tasks — complete full shift workloads using proper body mechanics to sustain stamina across extended work periods.
  6. Damaged or misplaced inventory — identify and report using deductive reasoning when conducting routine stock checks in a storage area.
  7. Customer and delivery driver interactions — respond to questions and direct them appropriately, demonstrating basic customer and personal service skills.
  8. Inventory management software — update stock movement records routinely and flag discrepancies for supervisor review in a warehouse database.
  9. Safety and security protocols — follow and reinforce among peers when loading or unloading vehicles to reduce injury and loss risk.
  10. Extent flexibility and manual dexterity — use to repackage, sort, and stack varied freight sizes within confined storage spaces efficiently.
Proficient
Senior / Expert IC
  1. Complex work orders and multi-stop delivery manifests — interpret and execute autonomously, coordinating material flow across a full shift without supervisory input.
  2. Forklifts, tractors, and specialized material-moving equipment — operate across the full range of warehouse and dock environments to meet throughput targets.
  3. Equipment storage layout — design and maintain to maximize inventory protection, accessibility, and safety in a high-volume distribution center.
  4. Non-routine freight situations — assess and resolve, such as overweight loads, damaged containers, or routing errors, using sound deductive reasoning.
  5. Mathematical calculations for load weights and quantities — perform accurately to ensure vehicle load limits and inventory counts are correct.
  6. Transportation regulations and public safety standards — apply consistently when staging, loading, and securing freight for over-road or intermodal shipment.
  7. Inventory management and industrial control software — use proficiently to track material movements, generate reports, and reconcile stock discrepancies.
  8. New team members — guide through safe equipment operation and material handling procedures, modeling dependability and attention to detail on the floor.
  9. Stamina and sustained physical performance — maintain across multiple consecutive shifts during peak-volume periods in a freight processing facility.
  10. Cross-functional coordination — collaborate with shipping, receiving, and production teams to ensure uninterrupted material flow and on-time order fulfillment.
Advanced
Lead / Principal / Executive
  1. Material handling workflows and storage strategies — design and implement at organizational scale to improve throughput and reduce freight damage across a facility.
  2. Safety and security policies — develop and enforce for a full distribution operation, ensuring compliance with public safety regulations and reducing incident rates.
  3. Team of laborers and material movers — lead, schedule, and mentor to build a high-performing, dependable workforce in a large freight or logistics environment.
  4. Inventory management systems and software tools — select, configure, and champion adoption of across a warehouse operation to improve accuracy and efficiency.
  5. Production and processing bottlenecks — diagnose and resolve at the operational level by analyzing workflow data and realigning labor and equipment resources.
  6. Training programs for safe material handling and equipment operation — develop and deliver to onboard new employees and upskill existing staff facility-wide.
  7. Vendor, carrier, and internal stakeholder relationships — manage to optimize freight scheduling, reduce delays, and align transportation resources with business needs.
  8. Administration and management principles — apply to budget labor costs, track KPIs, and report operational performance to facility leadership.
  9. Emergency response and contingency plans — establish and lead for scenarios such as equipment failure, freight loss, or safety incidents on the dock or floor.
  10. Continuous improvement initiatives — champion using performance data and worker feedback to raise standards of coordination, integrity, and operational excellence across the site.

AI-at-Work Competency Framework

Sources:Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab.Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab.WEF Skills TaxonomyWEF Skills Taxonomy 2021 — Building a Common Language for Skills at Work. Opens in new tab.

The Anthropic Economic Index (2026-03-24 release) doesn't show enough AI-assisted task observations for this occupation to anchor an AI-at-Work Competency Framework yet. Most physical and on-site occupations land here today; that signal may rise as more workers in this field adopt AI tools.

Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework

Sources:Pathsmith™ Durable SkillsPathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
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Show O*NET source anchors36 anchors · skillscrosswalk.com

O*NET enrichment · skillscrosswalk.com

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Source anchors that ground each statement

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RAPIDS apprenticeships
—
O*NET skills
Coordination
Knowledge domains
Administration and ManagementCustomer and Personal ServicePublic Safety and SecurityTransportationProduction and ProcessingMathematics
Abilities
Static StrengthTrunk StrengthMultilimb CoordinationManual DexterityOral ComprehensionNear VisionExtent FlexibilityStaminaDeductive ReasoningSelective Attention
Work styles
DependabilityAttention to DetailCautiousnessPerseveranceIntegrityCooperation
Technology
Internet browser softwareComputer aided design CAD softwareData base user interface and query softwareVideo conferencing softwareWord processing softwareOperating system softwareElectronic mail softwareInventory management softwareIndustrial control softwareSpreadsheet software
Tasks · seed anchors for statements
  1. Maintain equipment storage areas to ensure that inventory is protected.
  2. Read work orders or receive oral instructions to determine work assignments or material or equipment needs.
  3. 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.
CIP education codes
49.020849.010649.010249.010849.010551.0810

Sources: O*NET v30.2 (CC BY 4.0), SkillsCrosswalk.com, LER.me®, Anthropic Economic Index, SAFI (Jadhav & Danve, 2026), WEF Skills Taxonomy 2021, Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework. © 2026 EBSCOed.