Warehouse and Operations as a Career

Marty here, and thanks for stopping by Warehouse and Operations as a Career! I had a listener comment that on several episodes I had said something like early is on time and on time is late, and if you’re on time you’re late. They stated that I placed way too much weight on the time clock. And I guess somewhere I had written or said that I had learned more by always being early, setting in the breakroom and listening to or talking with the other shift coming or going. They stated as long as they punched in a minute before the shift their manager shouldn’t be concerned with their schedule. They went on to share that their management wanted them on the floor, dressed out, and ready for the preshift meeting but the timeclock was in the breakroom. At least a two minute walk from the gathering point. Well, let me clarify my thoughts there. I think you should always be you. And you’ll probably be fine. But, if you are an early one, one collaborating with others, and being inquisitive, I assure you, you will earn more throughout your career. But seriously, everyone does have the right, at least to themselves, to, well, be you. And I support that 100%. So, after going down that path, it made me think about that first 30 minutes of our shift, and then the last 30 minutes as well! I’ve always believed that hour is the most important two pieces of my shift. Now a lot of people and managers think the middle of the shift is where everything happens. That’s where the work gets done, the trucks get loaded, the orders get selected, the freight gets moved, and the productivity numbers are at their peak. And that’s true. But I feel that experienced operations people know something else. You can usually tell how a shift is going to go within the first 30 minutes, and unfortunately, a lot of accidents and poor decisions happen during the last 30 minutes. Those two windows can determine the safety, productivity, morale, and professionalism, what am I wanting to say, Culture, of the entire operation. And it really doesn’t matter what position we hold. Whether we’re unloading trailers, selecting orders, operating forklifts, working sanitation, dispatching trucks, handling inventory control, or leading teams, how we start and how we finish matters. A lot. I’m going to say it defines the shift or its culture. Let’s start with the beginning of our day. And honestly, I think the shift actually starts before we ever clock in. It starts when the alarm goes off, and with how much sleep we get whether we prepared our lunch, laid out our clothes, filled up the gas tank the night before, or whether we woke up already behind schedule. We’ve all done it. Wake up late. Rush through traffic. Walk into the building frustrated. Grab a scanner or piece of equipment and jump right into the shift without mentally arriving yet. And when that happens, we carry our chaos into the operation with us. Now I know life happens. Kids get sick. Traffic backs up. Life is expensive. Some people are working two jobs. I understand all of that. But there’s also something to be said for preparation and routine. Professional associates learn that the shift before the shift matters. I really do believe that showing up ten or fifteen minutes early changes things. It gives us time to breathe. Time to mentally prepare, to stretch, to review assignments and to attend startup meetings without rushing through the door halfway distracted. And our startup meetings matter. I know sometimes we look at them as repetitive, and think oh no another safety topic again. We’re listening to the case counts, the trailer counts, and our productivity and error numbers again. But don’t those meetings set the tone? That’s where the communication begins and where the expectations are shared. And, in my opinion, strong startup meetings can prevent injuries and operational concerns before they ever happen. Here’s something I learned years ago. A chaotic first hour usually creates a chaotic day. When batteries aren’t charged, and equipment inspections aren’t completed, and maybe the dock doors are blocked with the previous shifts freight, or our assignments aren’t understood and our leadership is scattered trying to find everyone, or attitudes are negative. It’s going to be long day. We all know that one late start can affect productivity for an entire shift. That one missing pallet can create indirect time for us. And that one forklift issue not caught during our pre-trip can become a safety incident later. And oh my goodness, can’t attitudes spread quickly inside the warehouse. One negative or rushed person at startup can affect ten more people before first break. But positivity and preparedness spreads just as quick. I that’s why leadership being visible during startup matters so much. Associates notice when supervisors are engaged and they notice when leadership is walking the floor. And it’s easy to pick up on when management already looks stressed before the shift even starts. And new employees especially pay attention during those first thirty minutes. That’s when the culture gets introduced to them. All the posters and slogans are cool, but the new boot learns through our behavior. They watch how equipment gets inspected, and whether safety rules ar being followed, how people are talking to each other, and whether procedures actually matter. And many times, they’ll mirror what they see. Ok, now let’s move to the other side of the shift. The last 30 minutes. And honestly, this may be one of the most dangerous periods of the day inside warehousing and transportation. Because by then, fatigue has entered the picture. Our feet may hurt and our backs may ache. People are mentally tired. Production numbers are on our mind and the clock starts becoming everyone’s focus. We’ve all heard it, said it, or thought it before. Just one more pallet. Just hurry up and finish it. Ot thought I’ll clean it up tomorrow. Or it’s close enough. And that’s when shortcuts begin. Maybe someone skips wrapping a pallet correctly, or someone rushes backing out of a trailer or someone jumps off equipment instead of maintaining their three points of contact. Maybe someone ignores a spill because the sanitation team will get it later or a forklift operator stops paying attention to pedestrians because mentally they’re already in the parking lot. And unfortunately, many injuries happen right there, at the end of the shift. Not because people are bad employees. But because they’re tired. The scary part about fatigue is many times we don’t even realize how distracted we’ve become. That’s why experienced operations leaders are or should be walking the floor during the last hour of the shift. This is when our energy levels change, our awareness and patience changes, and urgency can become dangerous. I was told once to watch my team and don’t let them mentally clock out before they physically clock out. Once that happens, safety and quality begin dropping fast. You can literally see it spread across the dock. People stop communicating. Housekeeping slips. People start parking their equipment anywhere. And paperwork gets rushed or not completed at all. Sometimes people become so focused on leaving on time that they stop focusing on working safely. Now don’t misunderstand me. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to go home. We all work hard. But professionalism and us being That employee means finishing strong too. Not just starting strong. Oh and here’s another bullet point I wanted to throw in there. The last thirty minutes are not just about ending our shift, they’re about preparing the next shift. Remember another one of those quotes we’ve all heard at a start up meetings, how it’s our responsibility to set the plate for the next shift! And I’ll use another one of the words we learned 2 weeks ago, I think this says a lot about our ownership. Do we leave equipment plugged in? Do we report damaged the pallets? Do we clean up shrink wrap and debris, leaving our work areas clean and organized or do we leave chaos for somebody else to fix? We all know that if batteries are dead, or equipment is damaged, and replenishments weren’t completed, or if paperwork is missing or incomplete, the next team starts behind before they even begin. Often our teams are measured by what we leave behind for others. I think strong facilities operate like connected shifts, not separate teams competing against each other. And I want to add that leadership plays a huge role in both the first and last thirty minutes. Like we discussed earlier, a disengaged startup creates confusion, just like a disengaged close creates carelessness. I’m just going to say it. Associates need to see leadership on the floor, they need communication and consistency. Sometimes just seeing a supervisor engaged on the floor at the end of the shift changes the entire energy of a department. At the end of the day, warehousing and transportation are fast-moving environments. We deal with freight, equipment, deadlines, productivity, customers, and pressure. But sometimes the smallest moments create the biggest outcomes. The first thirty minutes. And the last thirty minutes. I think the best associates understand it, because the best leaders teach it. And the strongest operations build cultures around it. Because how we start creates momentum and how we finish defines our professionalism. And in our world, both matter. Did anything we talk about today change how you’re going to walk into or out of your shift tomorrow? If so or if you have any thoughts you’d like to share please do so on our Facebook or Instagram feeds and of course you can send us an email as well! Yall be safe out there this week and I hope you’ll join us again next week.

Welcome back to Warehouse and Operations as a Career. I’m Marty, and today we’re talking about a piece of equipment that almost everyone in our industry recognizes, but not everyone fully understands it. If you’re a long time listener you’ll remember I spent about 6 years operating it on the 2nd shift, in the outbound operations within the food service distribution arena. We’re going to talk about the cherry picker today. Now its proper name, or if your ordering one from the manufacturer, it’ll be referred to as an order picker. This machine helped shape the modern warehouse, the newer e-commerce departments, and really, distribution as a whole. It’s increased productivity, allowed us to build higher racking, with many more selection slots, helping reduce the buildings footprint, reducing the cost of real-estate needed. But it’s also one of the most unforgiving pieces of equipment to operate. So today, I want to really walk through where the order picker came from, why it exists, what it’s good at, where and what it struggles with, how it’s used, and most importantly, the dangers, limitations, and responsibility that come with it. This isn’t just about the equipment. And I know I harp on it, but it’s about our mindset, maturity, and our career. And you ought to know, I’m going to take this opportunity to again stating that you should never get on or even touch a piece of equipment or machine that you have not been trained and certified to be on. Now that all that’s out of the way, let’s talk about the cherry picker! Believe it or not, the cherry picker didn’t start in a warehouse. Its earliest versions were used in agriculture, specifically for harvesting fruit. Farmers needed a way to lift workers safely into trees so they could hand-pick produce without ladders or unsafe climbing. The concept was simple, instead of bringing the fruit down, bring the worker up. As warehousing evolved, especially in the mid-20th century, that same idea became essential indoors. Warehouses started growing up instead of out. Land became expensive. Inventory counts increased. SKU or item counts exploded. Full pallets weren’t always the answer anymore. Traditional forklifts could move pallets just fine, but they couldn’t safely lift people to pick individual cases. And that’s where the order picker was born. By combining a powered industrial truck with an elevated operator platform, warehouses could store product higher, pick individual cases efficiently, reduce walking and ladder use, and dramatically increase picking productivity. Over time, these machines were refined with better controls, safety systems, harness requirements, and more stable designs. What we ended up with is one of the most productive, and demanding machines in the building. The defining feature of an order picker is simple but powerful, the operator rises or goes up in the air, up to the higher pick slots with the platform and forks, with a pallet usually. And that changed everything. Instead of pulling pallets down to floor level or relying on ladders and mezzanines, the operator works directly at the pick face or pick slot. Here’s why that matters. First, vertical access. Order pickers allow warehouses to fully utilize high-bay racking. Space that would otherwise be wasted becomes valuable inventory real estate. Second, case-level picking. This machine is built for piece and case selection, not full pallet movement. That makes it ideal for retail, grocery, and e-commerce operations where accuracy matters as much as or more than speed. Third, productivity and accuracy. A trained operator following a clean pick path can maintain a strong cases-per-hour average while reducing errors, with less walking, less searching for the product, less backtracking. And fourth, when used properly, reduced physical strain. The machine does the lifting, not the operator. No constant ladder climbing. No unsafe stretching to reach the product. And no carrying cases long distances. But, and this is a biggie, all of those benefits only exist when the equipment is used correctly and the warehouse is layed out and slotted properly. It needs to be said that order pickers are a specialized piece of equipment. They are not one-size-fits-all machines. They perform best in the high-bay warehouses, and narrow-aisle configurations. They require clean, dry, flat floors, and facilities with defined pick paths and in operations with high SKU and item counts. They are common in retail distribution centers, grocery warehouses and those large e-commerce fulfillment operations. They are not ideal for outdoor use, on uneven or damaged flooring, and up front in our dock areas or congested pedestrian zones and walkways. If your facility isn’t designed for elevated picking, an order picker becomes more risk than reward. Now we get to the part that separates training from experience. The order picker is one of the most dangerous pieces of equipment in the warehouse if misused. The biggest risk is obvious, falls from height. That’s why harnesses and are not optional and why lanyards must be properly anchored and why gates must be closed before elevation. A fall from an order picker is rarely a minor incident. It’s usually life-altering or worse. Another major risk is stability. Order pickers are designed to lift vertically, not travel or turn at height. Sudden movements, improper positioning, or failure to fully lower before traveling can and will create serious tip-over hazards. Then there are the pinch points and struck-by hazards. Operators work inches from steel racking, the beams, and product. One moment of distraction can result in crushed fingers, head injuries, or worse. And I want to point out, one of the most common unsafe behaviors, and that is overreaching. Instead of repositioning the truck, operators may stretch just a little farther. That’s when our balance can be or is lost, and that’s when falls happen. Your machine will always win that fight. A professional order picker operator follows a rhythm and the rules. It starts with his or her pre-shift inspection. Brakes, tires, controls, mast, chains, horn, lights, harness, and lanyard. This isent just more paperwork or a law, it’s self-preservation! Mounting the platform means three points of contact. Harness on. Lanyard secured and the gate closed and latched. Traveling means forks down, eyes up, horn used when needed, and awareness of surroundings. When elevating, the operator is square to the rack, lifts smoothly, and keeps their body inside the platform. No leaning and no shortcuts. After the pick is completed, the platform comes all the way down before travel every time. That consistency, following the procedure is what prevents injuries. Lets see, what else, uh, let’s talk about some of the controls. Theres several different models but most order pickers share common controls, forward and reverse travel, lift and lower, steering controls, a horn, an emergency stop, a deadman switch, and a battery indicator, and a pallet clamp or pallet grab vice. A trained operator doesn’t just know what each control does. They know to use them. It’s important to understand that training is not optional. Operating an order picker is not a right, and it’s a lot of responsibility. Of course that proper training includes classroom instruction, demonstration of the controls and handling, a hands-on evaluation, a review of the site-specific hazards and the observation and certification. Our powered industrial truck training or PIT training. And here’s another opportunity for me to state to never, ever, get on or touch a piece of equipment or machine that you’ve not been trained or certified to be on or operate! And remember that authorization can be removed if unsafe behavior is observed or we don’t act and operate it responsibly, and that’s not punishment, that’s our own fault and for our own good and the good of others. Because the goal isn’t speed. The goal is going home. Here’s the bigger takeaway. The order picker rewards discipline, patience, awareness and respect for process and position. By the way, those same traits are what make great leads, supervisors, and managers. People who master this equipment often become the people others trust because they understand the consequences. The cherry picker teaches you that rushing doesn’t save time. Shortcuts don’t make you efficient and safety isn’t a rule, it’s a responsibility. I loved my time on the cherry picker, it is one of the most powerful tools in the warehouse and one of the most dangerous when disrespected. The difference in those two statements isn’t the machine. It’s the operator. I always love talking about the many different pieces of equipment and the machines we use in our industry. If you have any positions or tools used in the light industry world, shoot us an email to host@warehouseandoperationsasacareer.com or post a comment on our Facebook page using @whseops, or hit us up on Instagram at waocpodcast and I’ll do my best to find us an answer! Well, I hope you enjoyed today’s episode and thanks for spending your time with us, and I’d appreciate it if you’d share the show with a friend or two! Remember to respect our equipment, to be safe at all we do, and that we have others depending on us and waiting for us to return home each day! Y’all be safe out there!

When I talk about warehouse sanitation, I often say, “It’s a great way to get your foot in the door.” And every now and then, someone pushes back and says, “I don’t want to clean restrooms or take out trash.” I understand that reaction. On the surface, sanitation doesn’t sound exciting. It doesn’t come with a forklift, a title, or a clipboard. It came up again this week so I wanted to explain a little better what the warehouse sanitation role really is, what it teaches you, and why it has launched more warehouse careers than people realize. Because warehouse sanitation is not just cleaning. It’s operations support. It’s safety. It’s compliance. And for the right person, it’s a proving ground. Think of it like this. At its core, warehouse sanitation exists to protect people, product, and the process. A clean warehouse is a safer warehouse, a compliant warehouse, and ultimately a more productive warehouse. Yes, sanitation associates may clean restrooms and remove trash, although a lot of times that’s more of a role for the janitorial folks and departments, anyway, that work matters more than people realize. But in a warehouse or production environment, sanitation includes maintaining dock areas, storage aisles, production zones, and shared spaces so that operations can run without interruption and bottlenecks. Sanitation associates are often the first ones to notice leaks, spills, or damaged flooring, broken pallets and debris buildup, blocked exits or fire equipment, and unsafe conditions developing in the aisles, cross aisles, and dock areas over time. In many operations, especially your larger distribution operations, sanitation is not a background function, it is a frontline safety and compliance role. Auditors, inspectors, and customers notice cleanliness immediately, and sanitation teams are often the unsung reason a facility passes inspections. One of the most valuable things a sanitation associate learns is Good Manufacturing Practices, or GMPs. GMPs teach the why behind the rules. Why food can’t touch the floor. Why personal items are restricted in production areas. Why cleaning tools and equipment are color-coded and why documentation is so important and matters. Sanitation associates learn how contamination happens through people, equipment, and behavior. They learn how one mistake in one area can affect product quality downstream. Once someone understands GMPs, they become valuable across the entire warehouse. Receiving, picking, packing, shipping, and quality all rely on the same principles. GMP knowledge changes how people move, touch, store, and think about product. Sanitation associates don’t just follow rules, they help enforce a culture of cleanliness and accountability. And sanitation work is structured. There are daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly cleaning schedules that must be followed. Sometimes called the Master Sanitation List. This teaches sanitation associates how to manage time independently, how to prioritize critical areas, and how to complete work without constant supervision, and then most importantly, how to properly document completed tasks. Schedules don’t care if someone is motivated or not, the work still has to be done. Associates who learn to stay on schedule develop discipline quickly. When managers look for leads or trainers, they often look for people who can manage their time without reminders. Sanitation associates who consistently complete schedules are already proving they can handle responsibility. We also may be given classes, training, and certifications on handling cleaning chemicals, another area where sanitation roles quietly build professional skills. Associates are trained on proper dilution ratios, PPE requirements, SDS sheets, and safe storage practices. They learn that stronger is not better, and that improper mixing can create hazards instead of preventing them. Chemical misuse can damage floors and equipment, create slip hazards, most importantly violating safety regulations. Learning to follow chemical procedures teaches precision, patience, and respect for process. Again, traits that are essential in equipment operation, quality roles, and leadership. Those next steps we’re all after. Ok, what else did I make notes on. Alright, this is where the sanitation role starts to surprise people. Warehouse sanitation often involves powered and equipment and machines, and that equipment brings even more responsibility into play. Think of Industrial floor sweepers, walk-behind or ride-on, remove debris that creates safety hazards. Sanitation associates trained on sweepers learn to perform pre-use inspections, monitor battery levels, and operate safely around pedestrians and forklifts. They learn right-of-way rules, speed control, and awareness of blind spots. Now, we need to remember that sweepers operate in active aisles. That means sanitation associates must anticipate traffic patterns, understand dock activity, and adjust their cleaning routes based on production flow. This isn’t random driving, it’s operational awareness and has to be treated as such. And the floor scrubbers require even more thought. These machines deep clean concrete floors and are essential in GMP environments. Associates learn how water flow, detergent concentration, and recovery systems work together. They quickly learn that too much water or chemical creates slip hazards and damages floors. Scrubbers require planning, which areas are active? Which areas can be blocked for a while? How to communicate wet floors? That kind of forward thinking kind of mirrors the decision making required of supervisors and leads. Oh, and trash compactors. Trash compactors are powerful machines with strict safety rules. Sanitation associates learn load limits, prohibited materials, cycle timing, and lockout awareness. Compactors teach one key lesson, procedures exist for a reason. There are no shortcuts, no “just this once.” They can be dangerous. This mindset, follow the process every time, is exactly what safety managers look for when selecting people for advancement. And Balers. Many facilities recycle their cardboard, shrink wrap, and slip sheets. We’ll learn how to sort materials properly, safely load the baler, tie off the bales, and document counts or weights. Many facilities track recycling metrics, which introduce sanitation associates to cost control and sustainability efforts. Balers build organization skills and attention to detail, two traits essential in inventory control and leadership roles. What else did I note here, Sanitation associates work everywhere. They see inbound, outbound, production, and all of the common areas. They notice how shifts hand off work, where bottlenecks form, and where safety issues seem to repeat themselves. That exposure creates, what I like to call, big-picture thinkers. People who understand how departments interact often become strong supervisors because they already understand the operation as a whole. Remember how I’m always mentioning to understand the task before and after ours? So where can all this take us? Sanitation experience often leads to general warehouse associate roles, Forklift and equipment operator positions, quality control or safety support roles, inventory control or clerical positions, facilities or building maintenance support, and yes, front line management. Some of the most effective leaders I deal with started in sanitation, and they respect every role and understand compliance better than most. So about that, I don’t want to clean mindset. Here’s the truth I share often, careers aren’t built by avoiding necessary work. Sanitation teaches discipline, humility, consistency, and accountability. Remember, managers notice who shows up, with a positive attitude, follows procedures, and does the work, even work that others avoid. Sanitation isn’t about trash. It’s about trust. Warehouse sanitation doesn’t have to be a forever job, but it can be a powerful starting point. And it can be a great career. It builds safety awareness, equipment experience, operational understanding, and work ethic. Sanitation isn’t a dead end. It’s a foundation. And as we’ve learned, strong foundations support long careers. Well, I have to get back to work now myself. I hope I shed some light on why I feel sanitation is one of the strong starting points in our industry. I’d appreciate it if you’d pass the episode along to a friend, ask them to subscribe on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or any of their favorite Podcatchers, we’re even on YouTube! Let’s all do our part to bring more of those entering the workforce into our Industry. Until next week, please give every action and movement the respect it deserves, our family and friends need us to be safe and come back home as well and in as good of health as we left!

Welcome back to Warehouse and Operations as a Career. I’m your host, Marty T Hawkins. Today, I want to talk about something I’ve heard repeatedly over the years, but especially over the past few weeks, and that is the growing importance of, lets see, what am I going to call it, attitude over experience, in the light industrial world. We’ve spoke to attitude a couple of times recently but just this week, I had two different customers say almost the same thing to me. They both told me something like, yes, experience is important. But if you come across an applicant with a great attitude and a strong personality, set them up for an interview. That statement says a lot about where our industry is at, and it’s what I’d like to talk about today. Now, everything we’ve learned over the course of the last 349 episodes, today is number 350 by the way, everything we’ve learned remains true. Our experience absolutely matters. Safety always matters and our skill and competency to perform our task matters. But what we’re seeing more and more is that experience alone is no longer enough. For a long time, hiring in the fields of warehousing, manufacturing, and distribution was simple. We’d be asked if we could do the job? Had we done the job before? And could we hit the numbers? And if the answer was yes, you were probably getting hired. Today, that model doesn’t always work. Like we discussed over the last quarter, operations have changed. Expectations have changed. And the type of associate who succeeds long-term has changed as well. Two weeks ago on one of our ask me anything shows, what was that title, Not my job and a raise. We discussed how Warehouses today are not one-task environments anymore. Associates are expected to communicate clearly, be willing to learn new processes, cross-train into other roles, be willing to help cover gaps when staffing is tight, basically, wear more than one hat. We learned the phrase that’s not my job doesn’t hold much weight anymore, and frankly, it can be a career limiter. Because of that shift, I believe adaptability and mindset have become critical. Operation teams feel you can train someone how to load a trailer, how to operate equipment, and train someone on picking procedures. But they feel, and they are correct, what’s much harder to train is willingness, coachability, accountability, positivity and a strong work ethic. That’s where attitude comes in. Now when managers talk about attitude, they’re not talking about being overly cheerful or talkative. They’re talking about things like showing up on time, being willing to learn, and this one is a big one, accepting feedback without getting defensive. What else did I write down, lets see, communicating clearly and professionally. And here’s another thing we’ve spoken too, following safety rules even when no one is watching and helping teammates instead of competing against them. It’s been realized that these behaviors directly affect safety, productivity, and culture. A highly experienced associate with a poor attitude can do more damage to the team than someone brand new who wants to learn. They may ignore procedures, resist change, create friction on the floor, influence others negatively, and even push back against leadership. On the other hand, an associate with limited experience but a strong attitude often becomes one of the most valuable people on the team within just a few months. I’m finding this is especially true in general labor roles, loading and unloading, order picking, packing and sorting, and any kind of material handling positions. These are physically demanding jobs. They require teamwork, pace, and focus. I’m seeing how a positive attitude in these roles shows up quickly with faster learning, better safety habits, better or consistent productivity, lower turnover, and stronger team morale. Many supervisors will tell you this straight out, they would rather train someone who wants to be there than manage someone who knows the job but doesn’t care. Now, let’s talk about skilled positions. Forklift operators, order selection, pallet runners, and production or manufacturing machine operators, these roles absolutely require training, experience, and a demonstrated skill. But even here, attitude matters more than many people realize. Operators today must communicate with leads and supervisors, follow system direction to a tee, and be able to adjust priorities throughout the shift, and again be willing to accept coaching, all while staying focused for long periods of time. Kind of like we said earlier, an operator with a great attitude is one that takes pride in their work, protects their equipment, respects safety rules, and helps the team succeed. I threw that one in again because I feel in this new world, a team environment, it’s worth repeating! Those qualities are separating average operators from outstanding ones. And I want to make this statement again, and we as employees and employers need to learn it, is that communication is one of the biggest reasons attitude has become so important. Warehouses today rely on radios, text alerts, shift meetings, safety huddles, and performance coaching and hand-offs between shifts. I think we’ve always walked through the motions but today, our responsibilities are more and the expectations are higher. We’re all learning, or maybe accepting, that associates who communicate well prevent problems before they happen. They ask questions. They speak up about safety. They clarify instructions and they don’t just assume. An HR manager shared with me, that he felt, that good communication usually stems from the right attitude, a willingness to listen and engage. Another major shift of thought is the expectation that associates will continuously learn and want to learn. New systems, new customers, new equipment, and new processes mean the job is always evolving. The associates who succeed are the ones who embrace learning instead of resisting it. That same HR manager shared that a strong attitude toward learning looks like curiosity, patience during training, accepting mistakes as part of growth, and wanting to improve. He feels like experience without a learning mindset eventually becomes outdated. For recruiters and hiring managers, this shift changes how they evaluate candidates. Yep, resumes matter, but they don’t tell the whole story. Behavioral questions matter more than ever. How do you handle learning something new? Tell me about a time you had to adapt. How do you respond to feedback? What motivates you at work? These kind of questions reveal mindset, and mindset predicts long-term success. We as applicants aren’t used to these types of questions. I guess in a way there’s our first opportunity to change our way of thinking! Ok, If you’re listening and you’re an applicant or associate, here’s the good news. Your attitude is your competitive advantage. You don’t need a perfect resume, and you may not need years of experience. But you do need or the new need is reliability, a willingness to learn, a strong respect for safety, and that professional communication, a positive mindset. Those behaviors get noticed quickly and they open doors. To wrap up, I know that experience will always matter in the light industrial world. But today, attitude often is a determining factor in who gets hired, who gets promoted, and who builds a long-term career. In an industry built on teamwork, safety, communication, and constant movement, mindset fuels everything else. And right now, a great attitude is more valuable than ever. If you enjoyed todays episode, share it with someone who’s entering the industry or looking to grow within it. Maybe urge them to subscribe on their favorite pod catcher or join us on Facebook or Instagram. Today is a bit of a milestone for us, 350 episodes over about 7 years. We don’t promote sponsors because I like talking about what you send us vs what advertisers want shared! We’re operations folks, not audio experts but we try and do the best we can! Anyway, Thank you for listening and emailing your questions each week. By the way, we used to do quite a bit of interviewing on the show. Some software changed on us, but we’re going back to that format occasionally here pretty soon and we’re excited about that. Until next time, stay safe, stay professional, and keep learning. That’s what it’s all about.

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Warehouse and Operations as a Career. I’m Marty and I thought we’d get to some more questions today, another Ask Me Anything episode. We had some really good ones come in, a couple of topics I’ve been wanting to get to myself. Let’s start off with this one from Carol, a forklift operator in the distribution industry. Carol feels there’s a trend developing where managers are expecting employees to do more than they were hired to. I hear this concern fairly often. When I was a counterbalance or sit-down lift operator, in a production facility, that’s what I did the whole shift. Even when I was an operator at a distribution center I typically drove for, like maybe, 80% of my day. I’d have to stop and down stack a load every once and a while or maybe partially fill a pick location or make the occasional replenishment. But I drove the lift most of the time. That was a long time ago though. I think our light-industrial workplaces, warehouses, manufacturing plants, and distribution centers are different now and for a lot of reasons. Yes, people are being asked to wear more hats. There’s more cross-training. More flexibility being demanded from us. More expectations to help outside of what used to be a very narrow job description. And for some folks, that creates frustration. You hear phrases like, that’s not my job, that’s not what I was hired to do, and that’s not in my job description. But the truth is, those days are disappearing. And I want to spend a few minutes today talking about the why, and more importantly, why that’s not a bad thing when we look at it the right way. Let’s just be honest with ourselves. Light-industrial operations today are different than they were just 5 years ago. Volumes change daily now. Staffing levels fluctuate. Customer and client expectations are higher than ever. Same day and next day shipping isn’t a luxury anymore, it’s the standard. Operations can’t stop just because one person is out or one department is short. We’ve learned that everything is connected. Inbound affects outbound. Picking affects loading. Forklift operations affect inventory accuracy. One weak link slows the entire chain down. For those reasons and a few others is where cross training comes in. Cross training isn’t about making people work harder, it’s about making operations more stable and consistent. It creates flexibility. It gives leaders options. And it keeps work moving when things don’t go exactly as planned, which, and since we’re being honest, happens a lot in our industry. Now let’s talk about that phrase, That’s not my job. I understand where it comes from. For a long time, jobs were very narrowly defined. You did one task, one function, and that was it. But that model doesn’t work well anymore, not in our industry anyway. When everyone stays locked into a single box, operations become, what’s a good word here, challenging I’ll say. One call off, one delay, one surge in volume, or orders, or trucks, and suddenly the whole shift is behind. Employers today are looking for team players. People who understand their main role, certainly, but who are also willing to help the operation succeed when needed. Now, that doesn’t mean job descriptions don’t matter. They do. But they’ve shifted from rigid rulebooks into broader descriptions. And that shift is an opportunity. Here’s something you know I strongly believe, learning more can never be a bad thing. When you learn another role, you gain perspective. When you gain perspective, you make better decisions. And when you make better decisions, you become more valuable. Remember how many times you’ve heard me say how important it is to learn the position before and after ours, where that case just came from and where it’s going after we’ve touched it! A picker who understands receiving makes fewer mistakes. A forklift operator who understands outbound stages freight better. An associate who’s helped with inventory control starts paying closer attention to accuracy. Cross training builds awareness, and awareness improves safety, quality, and productivity. That benefits the company, yes, but it also benefits us employees as well. From a career standpoint, wearing more than one hat, to use a recruiters phrase, is a plus. The more skills you have, the more valuable you become, not just to your present employer, but to the industry as a whole. When someone can share with a hiring agent or recruiter, I’ve worked inbound, outbound, this or that type of equipment, and inventory, that gets noticed. Those are the people who get tapped for lead roles. Those are the people who stay employable when things tighten up or change. Many supervisors, managers, and operations leaders didn’t get there because they stayed in one lane forever. They got there because they were willing to learn one more process, help one more department, and take on one more responsibility. That’s how careers are built in this industry. Now, let’s be clear here though. This doesn’t mean accepting unsafe work practices, and it doesn’t mean skipping training. It doesn’t mean being taken advantage of in any way. Employers have a responsibility here too. Cross training should be structured. It should be safe. Expectations should be clear. No one should be thrown into a role without proper instruction or support. When done right, cross training builds confidence instead of resentment. With that being said I’ll take this opportunity to remind us all to never get on a piece of powered industrial equipment without being trained and certified to operate it. And that goes for production or manufacturing machines also. For us employees, I think mindset matters. If you see cross-training as punishment, it will feel like punishment. And if you see it as opportunity, it becomes one. Asking questions. Being curious. Showing interest in how the operation works as a whole, those things send a powerful message. They say I care about my job. I care about my team. I care about my future. I promise you that attitude gets noticed every single time. Our light-industrial world rewards adaptability. The people who keep learning stay relevant longer. The ones who refuse to grow often struggle when processes change or roles disappear. Wearing more than one hat prepares you for what’s next, whether that’s a lead position, a specialized role, or simply long-term job security. It builds confidence. It builds competence. And it builds careers. Next up is a question from, well, they didn’t include their name, but the question was, how could I get or ask for a raise. Well, that’s a fair question. And a little complicated question, especially in our light industrial, warehouse, and distribution environments. Ok, lets look at how pay works, what managers are actually looking for, and how you can put yourself in the best position when opportunities come up. First, we need to understand the business side. In most light industrial operations, wages are set by position. General labor could pay a certain range, Forklift operators will have a range, Inventory control, leads, supervisors, etc, all of our roles are budgeted for well in advance. Companies don’t usually have the flexibility to give raises on the spot. Pay increases are planned during budget cycles, performance reviews, promotions, or when new responsibilities are added. Now that doesn’t mean raises don’t happen. It means they are earned, planned for, and justified. So instead of thinking, How do I ask for more money? I’d ask, how do I make myself worth more to the operation? How can I make my manager notice me? It’s important to know that managers notice patterns, not promises. The associates who get raises and promotions aren’t usually the loudest. They’re the most consistent. Here’s what always got my attention. First was attendance. And we talk about this all the time. Showing up on time, every shift, matters more than almost anything else. In a productivity driven environment, reliability is everything. When a manager knows they can count on you, you’re already ahead. Second is attitude. Of course this doesn’t mean every day has to be perfect. But staying professional, avoiding constant negativity, and being that solution focused team member makes a difference. Positive employees strengthen teams, and managers notice that. Third, and here’s that statement again, a willingness to learn and cross train. Again, Cross training is huge. Like we mentioned earlier, when you raise your hand to learn another role, another department, or another piece of equipment, you increase your value. You also make scheduling easier for your management team and that matters. And, Fourth would be ownership. Take responsibility for your work. Follow safety rules. Follow procedures. If you make a mistake, own it and fix it. That level of maturity builds trust and will get us noticed as well. Now lets talk about how to have that conversation. Walking into an office and saying, I need a raise, usually doesn’t get us very far. A better approach would sound something like this. I understand pay is based on positions and budgets. I enjoy working here and I want to grow. What do you need to see from me to be considered for a raise or promotion when the opportunity comes up? That shows professional maturity, it shows respect for the business. And something like that opens a productive conversation. Now you’ve turned a raise request into a development and growth plan. In our industry, raises often come through movement. General labor to equipment operator. Pallet runner to selector, receiver to inventory control, fork driver to lead. Lead to supervisor. Etc. Those steps may come with structured pay increases. But you don’t get there by waiting, you get there by preparing and planning. I’ve experience that Managers promote people who are already doing parts of the next job. Oh, and I want to mention that some positions, especially in distribution may have something like productivity pay or activity based pay, like a high productivity order selection environment, maybe even a tiered pay structure based on CPH or PPH. Where we’re paid based on what we do individually. I want us to remember though that a raise isn’t just about today’s paycheck. It’s about your future. The associates who consistently show up, stay engaged, and keep learning are the ones managers think of when new roles open up. Those opportunities usually start with something like hey, we’ve got something coming up, and we thought of you. That doesn’t happen by accident. So if you’re asking how to get a raise, here’s the honest answer, I know it’s not a simple answer but we need to be reliable, be positive, be willing to learn, be ready for more before you ask for more. That’s how raises and careers are built in the light industrial world. Well, I got to talking too much and ran out of time! I hope you got the answers you wanted. I know all that seems simple, and did you notice how and that we, ourselves, in this industry anyway, can control more of our direction and path than what we may have thought we could. If you enjoyed todays episode please share it with a friend or coworker. I appreciate you stopping in each week, and please feel free to check in on our Facebook using @whseops and our Instagram waocpodcast. And as always keep those questions coming in. Have a great, productive, positive, and safe week out there.

I feel Looking for Work Is Hard Work. One of the biggest misunderstandings about unemployment or career change is the idea that looking for work is something you do casually, or in between other things. A few clicks here, a few applications there, maybe scrolling on some job boards late at night from the couch. And then the frustration sets in when the phone doesn’t start ringing. The truth is simple, and sometimes uncomfortable to hear but looking for work is hard work. And I think if we don’t treat it like a job, it rarely is going to produce job level results. We need to remember that finding work requires structure, discipline, preparation, and accountability, just like any role on the warehouse floor, in operations, or in leadership. The people who land jobs consistently aren’t lucky. They’re intentional. They are working a plan. I’m Marty and today on Warehouse and Operations as a Career I wanted to expand on how hard looking for a job is. We spoke on a few of the topics back in week 37, what was that title, oh, week 37 & Jobs, and I mentioned the phrase on last weeks show. I received a couple of questions on it so I thought we’d spend a few minutes on it today. I always say treat the job search like our present job. If you were scheduled to work a shift, you wouldn’t roll out of bed whenever you felt like it. You wouldn’t decide halfway through the day whether you felt motivated enough to show up. You’d get up, get ready, and get started. Our job search deserves the same respect! We still need set our alarm. Start our day with purpose and block out time or schedule what hours we’re going to spend specifically for job searching. That means planning for things like reviewing the online job boards, checking local classified ads, monitoring all your local Facebook job groups, following company career pages, and planning time to make phone calls, sending out follow-ups, and networking. This isn’t something you squeeze in when you have time. This is our work. I mentioned job boards, I see too many people rely on a single job board and assume that’s enough, and its not! We need to check those things multiple times a day or throughout our scheduled hours for the day. Oh, and it’s proven that our friends are an excellent resource. They have jobs and they can share the good and the bad about them. Maybe we can even get a referral from them. We’ll want to be careful there though, in our industry, sometimes hiring relatives or friends are frowned on. But I’ve always found them to be a great resource. Ok, where was I, I think I skipped a few bullet points there, oh, and I wanted to say you’d be surprised how many job openings never make it to the job boards and are hired through word of mouth. I think we have to network like our career depends on it. Just let people know what kind of work you’re looking for and what experience we bring to the table. We need to mention what shift or role we’re open to and when we’re available. I’ve found a short, honest conversation can open doors faster than 100 online applications. Next is our resume, your resume must match the job you want. And please remember a resume isn’t a life story. It’s more of sales document. Its sole job is to clearly show what you can do, where you’ve done it, and how that experience matches the job you’re applying for. If you’re applying for a forklift position, your resume should highlight equipment types, years of experience, and the different environments you’ve worked in, things like narrow aisle, the outside yards, ramps, coolers or freezers, those types of things. And keywords like safety training and any certifications we’ve had and productivity expectations we’ve worked with. If you’re applying for leadership role, it should mention your team oversight and training responsibilities, any metrics you managed and the accountability you were held to. One generic resume for every job rarely works. Tailor it to the position you’re applying for. And please only apply for jobs you can actually succeed at. This is one of the most important, and most ignored points. One-click apply buttons have created bad habits. Clicking apply on dozens of jobs you aren’t qualified for doesn’t increase your chances. It actually hurts them. It wastes your time, and the recruiter or the hiring manager’s time. Remember recruiters are reviewing hundreds of resumes. When they see applicants who clearly don’t meet basic requirements, it creates frustration, and it lowers the quality of the process for everyone. Our resume may end up in a discard pile just because we have no experiences for that position. Even if we’d be a great fit for something else they have open. Apply for jobs where you meet the basic core qualifications, where you have experience in the position and you can realistically perform the work. In our light industrial world quality beats quantity every time. Another biggie, be honest with recruiters. Recruiters aren’t the enemy. Think of them as the gatekeepers. We should be honest about our experience, our availability, our transportation, our work history, and very important, what you want, and what you don’t want. Overselling yourself may get you a phone call, but it rarely gets you called in for the face to face or hired long-term. Worse, it can damage our reputation with a company or an agency. And if you schedule an appointment, show up. Nothing ends a job opportunity faster than a no-show interview. If something comes up, communicate. Life happens. But our silence looks like irresponsibility. I won’t harp too much on this one, I get several emails every time I bring it up, but clean up your social media, they can and will look. This part surprises people, but it shouldn’t. Social media is public, and right or wrong, opinions can be formed from it. Recruiters and hiring managers often check social media. Not to judge your personal life, but to look for red flags. At least ask yourself. Is my profile public? And by the way locked profile may be considered a red flag. What would an employer see in 10 seconds? Do my posts reflect maturity and professionalism? Offensive language, threats, constant negativity, or posts bragging about skipping work don’t help your case. You don’t need to erase who you are, just be smart about what you display publicly. Ok, enough on that! Moving on, lets be ready for the phone interview. And this is important. The phone interview is not casual. It’s often the most important 5 minutes of the entire process. You may have only 30 seconds to make an impression. By the time the recruiter calls they’ve reviewed dozens, maybe hundreds of resumes. They’re deciding quickly who moves forward. Now this is going to be a cold call. If we are busy, watching the children, or outside, or maybe driving, we can share that, and ask if we could give them a call back at so and so time. They do not mind that. They want us focused, and ready to speak with them. We need to be ready when they call or we call them back. That means have your resume in front of you, be in a quiet place, be focused, answer clearly and confidently. Be ready know how to explain our experience, why we’re a good fit, and what we’re looking for or why we answered this ad. Preparation matters. This is our one shot at getting that face to face interview. When you walk into that interview, you’re already being evaluated, before you say a word. Remember to dress for the role. If the position requires steel-toe footwear wear them, dress in warehouse attire, look ready, and talk about PPE awareness, show and state what you know. You don’t need to overdress, but you do need to show you understand the environment and are prepared to work in it. It sends a clear message, I’m ready to go to work today. Now if we like the job and are offered it, when we say yes or accept it, show up. There is nothing wrong with saying this position isn’t going to be for me. We shouldn’t shake our head yes if inside we know we’re saying no. Of course, things may come up, and all we have to do is communicate that. Don’t burn bridges. If another place has called us and we’re accepting that job, just call and let the hiring agent know. Like I mentioned earlier, discipline wins the job search. Looking for work can be exhausting. It’s easy to get discouraged, especially after rejections or silence. But the people who succeed are the ones who stay the course, and stay disciplined. They treat the search like a job, stay organized, follow up, show up, prepare, and are confident. All that makes it sound easy, it’s not, but it will happen. I’ve always felt that a job search isn’t about luck, It’s about effort and consistency. If you’re serious about finding work, treat the process with the same seriousness you would expect from an employer. Show up for it, prepare for it, and respect it. Because looking for work is hard work, and when you do it right, it leads to something even harder, and much more rewarding. A career. Well, there’s a bit on the subject. If you know of anyone seeking employment, please recommend the episode to them, and as always please feel free to send us a message with any thoughts or comments. We love getting questions and topics from the group. On top of all that, please be safe out there, our loved ones need us happy and well this time of year and always.

Welcome back to Warehouse and Operations as a Career, I’m Marty, and today I thought we’d have another Ask Me Anything episode. I always like these because the questions don’t come from textbooks, supervisors, or managers, they come directly from real associates and warehouse workers with real concerns. Our industry welcomes so many first time job seekers, and those wanting to change career paths. Some of its rules and regulations just aren’t found in other industries and I hope talking about them helps us slow down a bit, and put in the time. Alright, we received three really good questions for today, and honestly, if these three people asked them, I’m confident a hundred others are thinking the same thing, so let’s jump in. First up, my boss wants me to work overtime several times a week, even on Saturdays getting ready for the holidays. I want work-life balance, but it feels like all we do is work. First, I want to say, yes, work-life balance is extremely important, and I encourage everyone in this industry to protect that balance. Our mental health, physical health, and family lives matter. But at the same time, we also need to understand the industry we chose to work in. Light industrial, warehousing, distribution, logistics, these sectors live and breathe on production and shipping. That’s not just a management saying. It’s literally the foundation of how the supply chain operates. Most companies don’t schedule overtime because they like spending more money on labor. Technically, overtime costs them more. Time-and-a-half adds up quick. So why do they do it? Because freight keeps moving. Product keeps arriving. Orders keep coming in. Your customers keep shopping. Especially around peak seasons. Here’s something I’ve shared with new associates many times. The supply chain doesn’t care what day of the week it is. Transportation doesn’t stop. Warehouses don’t stop. Retail stores don’t stop. People don’t stop buying things. Now we absolutely deserve balance, but balance doesn’t always mean every week looks the same. Sometimes balance looks like working a few heavier months out of the year, and lighter months later. Some of the best operators, selectors, receivers, I mean the real professionals, use peak season as an opportunity. I had one guy tell me how he plans for his peak season. More hours. more pay. more learning, and more exposure. And remember If you’re wanting advancement, leadership looks for who’s stepping up. Overtime shouldn’t be looked at as punishment, it’s opportunity. No, we shouldn’t work seven days a week every week of the year. But during heavy shipping periods, stepping up is part of being in this field. And honestly, it’s part of being valuable. Nobody likes mandatory overtime, but everybody likes having a job, and that job depends on productivity and meeting the needs of our customers. You’re not working more hours because someone likes it, you’re working more hours because our industry requires it from time to time. Use overtime as a career tool, not as a pain point. If you want promotions, forklift certification, lead roles, better assignments, full-time status or long-term job stability. Then be the person your boss can count on when the workload is highest. We all get worn out from time to time, keeping our eye on the long-term goal will help us stay focused, we’ll get through it. Question #2, why are corrective actions taken so seriously? It feels like you get 1 verbal, 1 written, and then you’re terminated. Why so strict? This is another great question. I hear this complaint a lot, especially from new associates. Here’s the truth. Yes, many companies use a progressive corrective action system. Verbal, written, and a final or termination. Some use a point system, some use write-ups, but the purpose is the same, behavior correction, not punishment. You’ve heard me talk about coaching. I prefer that word instead of correcting or warning. Sometimes those coaching’s are in regards to Safety. Warehouses are dangerous. Not maybe dangerous. They are dangerous. As we discussed last week, every rule you’ve ever been told exists because, someone got hurt or something went seriously wrong. Corrective Action can mean Prevention. Corrective action isn’t about protecting the company, it’s about protecting people. If you get coached on attendance, PPE, equipment rules, dock safety, stacking pallets etc, …it’s not because management is strict. It’s because it’s the right thing to do. OSHA standards are there to protect us. The insurance company has rules. Liability is real and Injuries are expensive for our company and us as individuals. We all know warehouse environment can go from safe to serious in seconds. And Productivity matters too. We are in a productivity-driven industry. Pieces per hour, pallets per hour, inbound receiving time, dock turnaround. Every minute counts. Every delay costs money. So rules are there for productivity and safety. And please keep in mind, no matter what else you hear, safety is your priority one in any task. Period Ok, Let’s be honest. Many corrective actions start because our attendance is inconsistent, or we repeatedly ignore safety instructions. Most write-ups aren’t about big dramatic incidents, they’re about repeated small behaviors that impact safety or production. If you were running a business with forklift traffic, heavy freight, metrics and deadlines, you would expect consistency too. The good news? Stay safe, follow direction, communicate, and show up on time…and you’ll never get close to corrective action. Corrective actions exist to protect careers, not end them. Alright, and I picked this next question because it comes up at least once a month out in the field. Why don’t companies offer more training on forklifts and EPJs? I want to learn, but it seems like nobody wants to take the time to train me. This is one of my favorite questions because I’ve trained a lot of equipment operators and trainers, and I’ve been on both sides of that frustration. Here’s the big picture. There are no quick training courses. Forklifts and rider pallet jacks cause the majority of damages and injuries in warehouses. When a new operator climbs on equipment too early, bad things can happen fast. Certification is not a reward, it’s a responsibility. Experience matters. You’re not just learning how to drive. You’re learning, balance, center of gravity, safety, spotting, loading, rack structure, pallet weight, equipment limitations, battery versus propane rules and about a hundred other dangers. You’re learning how to see things before they happen. And that takes time, and experiences. And yes, the sad truth is that companies want trained equipment operators. They need more operators, they want productivity. And they have to have safety. They need people who show up consistently, are safe on the floor, have good work habits, follow rules, can communicate well and take direction. If you want to be trained on equipment, be that person. You earn it by being dependable. Think about it from management’s point of view. Who are they going to invest in and spend time training on a forklift? Someone who is absent twice a week, or someone who is early every day? Someone who argues, or someone who listens? Someone who complains or someone who volunteers? PIT or powered industrial trucks are not like video games. Forklifts don’t forgive mistakes. Electric rider pallet jacks can be very unforgiving. One accident or incident can change a life. So yes, training takes time. Yes, it’s slow. But slow means safe. My advice. And it’s a time proven opinion. Be patient. Be present. And be consistent. Ask for learning opportunities, but also show that you’re ready for them. If you want to be a forklift operator, start by being a great warehouse employee first. That is what opens doors. Everyone catch how all three of these questions have something in common? The warehouse environment is demanding, it’s productivity driven, safety is paramount, expectations are real and experience matters. And I think most of us know that deep down, even when we don’t like the answers. But here’s the good news! If you, show up, listen, learn, work safely, and treat others professionally. Our industry will reward you. Every single time. You’ll grow. The opportunities and pay will come. Because the supply chain doesn’t stop, distribution doesn’t stop, and operations never stop. So wrapping it up I guess the question is, are you going to be the employee that helps keep it moving? I hope these answers helped someone today. And please keep the questions coming, I love doing these Ask Me Anything episodes, and every time you ask a question, someone else learns as well. Until next time, stay safe, work smart, keep learning, and remember, you are building careers out there.

Welcome back to another episode of Warehouse and Operations as a Career. I’m Marty, and today I want to talk about something a listener asked a few weeks ago. How does one choose a career, and more specifically, how do they end up in the light industrial, warehousing, and transportation fields. One of the things I’ve learned over the decades is that very few people wake up at 18 years old and say, I’m going to be a forklift operator, or I’m going to build a career in a distribution center. In my opinion most careers aren’t chosen, they’re found. They’re shaped by our experiences, opportunities, influences, and sometimes just plain necessity. But once people get here, once they get that first real taste of what this work is like, the stability, the opportunity, the teamwork, a lot of them stay. And that’s what I’d like to talk about today. Let’s start with a simple truth: most people don’t choose a career the way a high school guidance counselor might describe it. It’s not a straight line. It’s often a mix of exposure, timing, skill, personality, and need. Let me try and make that make sense. Many of us choose careers based on what we’ve seen growing up. If your parents, uncles, or neighbors worked in a warehouse or drove trucks, that’s what you were exposed to. If your first job was unloading trucks at a retail store or working seasonal shifts for a local DC, that experience sticks with you. My father was president of a regional catalogue distribution center. From a young age I was exposed to the warehouse, all the inbound and outbound chaos and seeing all the equipment in action. I was in DECA in high school, my junior and senior years I went to school half a day and then off to work after that. Distributive Education Clubs of America was an eye opener for me and helped point me towards a work ethic I still hold today. Anyway, I digress a bit there. What was I talking about. Ok, I don’t know where I was going, I think I wanted to mention my first jobs we’re in a warehouse because I had an in to those distribution centers! All that’s a story for another episode. I think a lot of young people today enter this industry because a friend says, Hey, my place is hiring, or they hear that a local warehouse pays a few dollars more per hour than their retail job. That’s what I mean by exposure. You can’t choose what you don’t know exists. Now, in our world, once someone takes that first general labor position or that first shift at loading trailers, something happens. They either realize it’s not for them, or they say, You know what, I think I like this. And that’s often the moment their career begins, sometimes without them even realizing it. Another major factor I mentioned earlier is need. Jobs are often chosen because someone needs a paycheck this week, not a degree three years from now. And that’s one of the biggest advantages of the light industrial and warehousing world, it is accessible. You don’t need an ivy league education. You don’t need months of training. A good staffing agency or warehouse can hire you, orient you, and get you earning a paycheck quickly in a week. For someone supporting a family, or someone just starting out and needing to get on their feet, that’s huge. A lot of careers begin because the industry said, we’ll give you a chance right now. People also lean into what they’re naturally good at. Some people are hands-on workers. Some learn best by doing. Some have great attention to detail. Others thrive in louder, busier environments. Warehousing fits a wide range of capabilities. If you like movement, there’s selecting, loading, unloading. If you like operating equipment, there’s forklift, rider pallet jacks, and PIT operation. If you’re detail-oriented, there’s inventory control and quality assurance. If you’re a natural leader, there’s a path from lead to supervisor to manager. Many people choose this industry simply because they discover, sometimes accidentally that the work fits who they are. We sometimes forget that personality drives career choice as well. Some individuals do not want to sit at a desk. They don’t want to be in customer service all day. They want to move, think, act, sweat, accomplish, and see their results. Warehousing and transportation offer that. Every shift has a measurable outcome. Pallets moved. Trailers loaded. Orders filled. Goals hit or exceeded. For the right personality, that environment feels rewarding, even energizing. And this might be the most important factor of all. A single person can completely influence someone’s career path. Our mentors, even unknown mentors, have a lot more influence on us than we may realize. Maybe it was a supervisor who said, you’d be great on a forklift, let’s get you trained. Maybe it was a lead who showed you how to wrap a pallet right and said, you’re picking this up fast. Maybe it was a trainer who spent extra time showing you a safer way to work and said, I see potential in you, you’ll be able to take my place one day. That’s 3 true examples I experienced. Those moments matter. They turn jobs into careers. They help people believe in themselves, sometimes for the first time. And then let’s be honest, sometimes people end up in a job simply because it was the easiest open door. They applied. They got hired. They started. And they stayed. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Many long, successful careers begin by chance. But what matters is what happens after that first step. So now, let’s talk about why so many workers who enter this field end up staying and building entire careers here. There are a lot of reasons. Not everyone is meant for college. And not everyone wants it. Warehousing levels the playing field. You can start with a high school diploma, a GED, or just the willingness to learn. You don’t need prior experience. You don’t need certifications. You don’t need years of training. If you show up consistently and work safely, the industry will teach you everything else. That opens doors for thousands of workers who want a real career but don’t have access to college or technical schools or the time those commitments take to start earning. One of the biggest advantages of our field is that advancement is based on performance, not the politics. A general laborer who works hard, shows up every day, and follows safety rules and procedures can move from position to position quickly. I see it all the time. General labor to Forklift operator, Forklift operator to Lead, Lead to Supervisor, Supervisor to Manager, and Manager to Operations leadership like Director or Vice president. If you want to climb the ladder, the ladder is there, and it’s real. I’ve seen people go from sweeping floors to running departments. I’ve even seen people go on to run entire facilities. That’s the beauty of this career path, you can grow as fast as your attitude and effort will carry you. People sometimes think warehousing is just moving boxes. But as we’ve learned this last couple of quarters, this industry is incredibly diverse. There are roles in Equipment operation, Inventory control, Quality assurance, I should have made some notes here, what else, oh, Replenishment, Receiving, Shipping, Dispatch, Transportation, building Maintenance, and two of my favorites Safety, Training, many different Management positions, and even HR and recruiting. The variety gives us workers options. We can grow sideways, upward, or into completely new areas, all within the same building. What other industry can give us all that! And many entry-level associates discover quickly that general labor in a warehouse pays several dollars more per hour than retail or food service. Then they see the overtime opportunities. The shift premiums. And the potential bonuses. Suddenly, they’re not just earning a paycheck, they’re earning a living. I think this is one of the top reasons people stay. Warehousing and transportation reward productivity and effort. And that motivates workers to commit to the industry long-term. One of my opinions for free! Some people need to feel accomplished. They want to look back at the end of the shift and say, everything is all wrapped up. Warehousing gives them that. You see progress. You see results. You see the work you put in. You don’t have to wonder if you made an impact, you can see it in the cases picked, pallets stacked, trailers loaded, and shift goals achieved. That sense of accomplishment always kept me coming back for the next shift. And It’s a Stable, Growing Industry Let’s face it, the supply chain isn’t going anywhere. Even during recessions, warehouses keep running. Even during pandemics, trucks keep moving. People always need, Food, home Products, Medications, and Supplies. And as e-commerce continues to grow, so does the demand for distribution centers, fulfillment centers, cross-docks, last-mile delivery, and transportation. Workers like stability. They like knowing their job will still be here tomorrow. Warehousing and the supply chain offers that. And this industry teaches skills we can take anywhere, equipment operation, Safety practices, systems and RF scanners, Inventory processes, Quality checks, Time management, the importance of accuracy and Leadership and communication. These aren’t just job skills, there our they’re career skills. And once you have them, you’re employable in almost any warehouse or distribution environment across the country. Another thing I’ve always loved about the industry is how Warehouses are often 24/7 operations. That means people can choose shifts that work best for them and the family, mornings, afternoons, nights, weekends, or rotating even schedules. For young parents, students, or workers with second jobs, that flexibility can be a major advantage. I feel, when you look at the big picture, people choose warehousing, light industrial, and transportation careers because they see opportunity. These industries offer that chance to start immediately, a chance to earn a good wage, the opportunity to grow fast and to learn valuable skills that can support our family and to build a long-term, stable career. And the most important part? They provide it to anyone willing to work, show up, stay safe, and take pride in what they do. So, if you’re new to this industry or you’re just getting started, or if you’re trying to find your path, know this. You don’t have to have all the answers today. You don’t need to have your life all figured out. You just need to start. Build skills. Learn. Ask questions. Show up. Stay safe. Take pride in your work. As you know I could talk about operations all day, so I’ll move on and say thanks for joining me today, and thanks for being part of an industry that keeps America running. Until next week, stay safe, stay focused, and keep building your career one shift at a time!