Shipping, Receiving, and Traffic Clerks

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This occupation is part of the Office and Administrative Support cluster

About the Job

Verify and maintain 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.

It is also Called

  • Booking Clerk
  • Break Out Man
  • Break Out Worker
  • Car Checker
  • Clerk
  • Cloth Booker
  • Container Coordinator
  • Dispatcher
  • Disposition Clerk
  • Distributing Clerk

What They Do

  • Examine shipment contents and compare with records such as manifests, invoices, or orders to verify accuracy.
  • Record shipment data, such as weight, charges, space availability, damages, or discrepancies for reporting, accounting, or recordkeeping purposes.
  • Prepare documents, such as work orders, bills of lading, or shipping orders, to route materials.
  • Confer or correspond with establishment representatives to rectify problems, such as damages, shortages, or nonconformance to specifications.
  • Pack, seal, label, or affix postage to prepare materials for shipping, using hand tools, power tools, or postage meter.
  • Contact carrier representatives to make arrangements or to issue instructions for shipping and delivery of materials.
  • Deliver or route materials to departments using handtruck, conveyor, or sorting bins.
  • Requisition and store shipping materials and supplies to maintain inventory of stock.
  • Determine shipping methods, routes, or rates for materials to be shipped.
  • Compute amounts, such as space available, shipping, storage, or demurrage charges, using computer or price list.

Interests

People who work in this occupation generally have the interest code: CRE.

This means people who work in this occupation generally have Conventional interests, but also prefer Realistic and Enterprising environments.

Work Values

People who work in this occupation generally prize Relationships, but also value Support and Independence in their jobs.

Things They Need to Know

  • Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
  • Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Things They Need to Be Able to Do

  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Additional Resources


Education Required

These occupations usually require a high school diploma.

Wages

In 2012, the average annual wage in California was $31,240.00 with most people making between $19,470.00 and $46,140.00

Outlook

0.56%
avg. annual growth

During 2010, this occupation employed approximately 89,900 people in California. It is projected that there will be 94,900 employed in 2020.

This occupation will have about 500 openings due to growth and about 2,290 replacement openings for approximately 2,790 total annual openings.

Industries that Employ this Occupation

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