Sort the next load
Read the work order and group cargo before loading. Check identifying tags so items go together correctly.
Career profile
Freight and Material Handler
Move freight between trucks, loading docks and storage areas.
You use your hands, check labels and protect loads. If you like physical work with a visible result, picture getting a shipment ready to leave.
A day in the life
Move freight off the truck
Carry materials or use moving equipment to transfer them from the loading dock to storage.
Protect a damaged carton
Inspect freight for damage. Repack a damaged container and use padding or straps to protect the load.
Count what you moved
Enter quantities on a work ticket or in an inventory system so the movement has a record.
Quick facts
Learn on the job
United States · 2025
$40,240/year
United States · May 2025
1.8% growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Learn on the jobTypically no formal education credential or related experience is required; employers provide short-term training.
Pay
$40,240/yearNational median, equivalent to $19.35 an hour.
Outlook
1.8% growthAbout 340,500 openings a year are projected nationally, including replacement openings.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You prefer moving around to sitting at a desk.
- You can keep checking details during repetitive work.
- You coordinate your movements with coworkers.
Things to weigh
- Repeated lifting and carrying can leave you tired and can cause strains or overexertion.
- Some parcel shifts start before dawn or run overnight. Seasonal positions have an end date.
Where AI may help
In some warehouses, powered conveyors and sorting systems move freight through the building with less manual handling.
What people still lead
People still inspect damaged freight and protect loads.
What we can’t predict yet
How much handling becomes automated will vary by workplace; equipment can change both the tasks left to you and the pace of work.
Pay in context
Earnings
These national figures cover hand laborers and freight, stock and material movers across employers, rather than a starting offer.
The median and spread
The median was $40,240 a year, or $19.35 an hour. The lowest-paid 10% earned $31,270 or less; the highest-paid 10% earned $55,140 or more. Those are wage percentiles, not beginner and experienced pay levels.
Workplace type matters
In warehousing and storage, the median for this occupation was $45,880 a year, or $22.06 an hour—above the $40,240 median across industries. A particular warehouse may pay differently.
Openings exceed new jobs
Employment is projected to grow 1.8% over the decade, with about 340,500 openings annually. Openings include replacing workers who leave the occupation; they are not all newly created jobs.
Getting started
Join a parcel-handling crew
Paid
- What the route involves
- Start in a package-handler role and learn basic duties and safe equipment use alongside an experienced worker.
- What it can lead to
- You gain experience sorting and moving packages in a working parcel facility.
- What to check
- Check whether the opening is seasonal or permanent; a seasonal start does not guarantee year-round work.
Start with a moving company
Paid
- What the route involves
- Look for a mover opening that accepts beginners and includes paid training. Practice wrapping furniture, packing boxes and loading a truck before handling customer moves.
- What it can lead to
- You can join a crew that packs, carries and unloads customers’ belongings.
You can usually apply directly to employers and learn at work. Check each opening’s education, age and physical requirements.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get steady at the basics
After starting, focus on safe equipment use and getting routine moves right. Ask an experienced coworker to check unfamiliar tasks.
Handle more varied loads
In household moving, build your skill with furniture wrapping, box placement and loading. Work on the parts your trainer identifies as needing practice.
Help train the next crew member
Some moving companies offer trainer roles. Once you handle the work consistently, explore teaching new movers how to prepare and move loads.
Where you can work
Parcel sorting facilities
You work with a crew around conveyor belts and large machinery. The pace is brisk, temperatures can change within the building, and shifts may run outside daytime hours.
- Indoors
- Shift work
- Physical demands
- Safety-sensitive
Household moving crews
Your workplace changes with the customer. You walk through the home, protect belongings and load the moving truck with coworkers; talking with customers is part of the day.
- Field work
- Travel
- Physical demands
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Label a few small empty boxes with different destinations. Make a shipment list, sort the boxes, then ask someone to change one label. Recheck and record your counts. Notice whether you enjoy catching the mismatch while keeping the work organized.
Stay safe: Keep this on a tabletop with empty boxes; it tests attention, not lifting strength.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. 53-7062.00 — Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- O*NET OnLine. 2025 wages for 53-7062.00 — United States rows. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Hand Laborers and Material Movers. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Warehousing and Storage: NAICS 493 — Earnings by Occupation. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- UPS. Warehouse Workers. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- TWO MEN AND A TRUCK. Mover / Laborer — Norristown, Pennsylvania. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- TWO MEN AND A TRUCK. Training Process. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- TWO MEN AND A TRUCK. Join the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Bentonville Family!. Accessed 2026-10-02.