Just when you think you have nailed the job description of every type in your surrounding work area, they come up with something new. Here is one for you – a preloader!
What does a preloader do?
Well, if you have worked in a warehouse, you will know that there is so much work that needs to be done that merely a few people cannot possibly hack it. There are packages to be sorted and labeling to be done. Who do you think takes care of this work? A preloader! You got it!
But didn’t we recently hear someone say or read somewhere that this was the job of an order puller? To be perfectly honest, there are some jobs that many people within an organization do in an overlapping fashion.
In big warehouses, people may be hired specifically for each job, getting rid of the overlapping area. So if an order puller was once doing the hauling around too, he may not have to if a dedicated preloader has been hired to handle this work specifically.
Let’s discuss what happens in large warehouses and freight forwarding companies. Preloaders are specifically hired to handle the various jobs that eventually lead to a package being transported to its destination.
They move items to and from storage and production areas, sort them out by batch or/and item numbers, get them ready for delivery and load them onto trucks.
Here is a list of duties that are particular to a preloader’s job:
Preloader Job Description Sample
• Read work orders to determine work assignments
• Look through production and/or storage areas to determine where items are located
• Sort items before loading or unloading to ensure order accuracy
• Attach labels or identifying tags to items or boxes mark them for identification purposes
• Record the number of boxes or items that have been packed and transported
• Ascertain that each item is properly and safely boxed or packed
• Install protective devices such as bubble wraps, bracing, padding, or strapping to prevent damage
• Operate forklifts to lift heavy items and packages and transport them to designated areas
• Assist in loading items in trucks in a proper and safe manner to ensure that they do not fall or get damaged during transit
• Ensure that warehouse area is kept clean and is free from hazardous materials
• Assist in creating shipment/freight reports by accurately recording information and incorporating it into reports