How Do I Find Loading and Unloading Labor Services?

There are a number of ways for transportation carriers, as well as logistics and warehouse managers, to find loading and unloading labor services. The need usually comes about after each has either tasked existing staffers with this job, only to find that the results were far less than optimal. What each is seeking to avoid is a loss of productivity that comes about from diverting existing employees from their daily tasks to perform the occasional loading/unloading duties. Or, given the distances truckers have to travel daily, the expectation that they will have the energy as well as the expertise to load and unload their trailers quickly and expeditiously is perhaps asking too much of them. Another approach that is often tried by management, in an attempt to hold the line on operational costs, is to hire day laborers through an agency or a hiring hall. There is yet another solution, but in this posting, we will save the best for last. 

Loading and unloading trailers and containers is not generally a daily task. Because of this, few supply chain links will have dedicated ‘lumpers’ on their payroll as full-time staff. When the need for freight loading or unloading labor services arises, management will divert existing employees to perform the task. The issues here are that seldom is anyone else available to cover for these staffers so their daily assigned duties are neglected. Productivity suffers as a result. As for the time it takes an inexperienced worker to perform a job that is more skillfully and quickly performed by seasoned professionals not only impacts the supply chain schedule but also contributes to increased overhead costs. For these, as well as for per diem workers, there are also safety concerns. Seasoned lumpers have been certified in safety techniques. This also contributes to lower overhead costs, as there is a lower possibility of injury to themselves or others. 

Transportation carriers are transitioning from the practice of having their drivers load and unload their trailers. This is partly due to the alarming federal statistics associated with driver fatigue, which has been cited as the leading cause of large truck accidents in the U.S. each year. In recent years, that statistic has risen to nearly 17%. As for warehouse management, a leading logistics firm states that 65% of that industry’s budget is allocated for staffing. Hiring day laborers lowers that cost in that these workers do not receive benefits from the employer. However, most are unskilled and can damage the products and goods that they are loading and unloading, or cause injury to themselves or others in the warehouse. This actually raises the company’s operational costs, so the best option is to contact a professional freight handling company and hire their professionals on an ‘as needed’ basis.

So to paraphrase the title of this posting, the better suggestion is, ‘How does one locate loading and unloading labor services professionals?’ The answer is to contact Labor Loop. We’ve earned our stellar reputation in 38 states, one container, and trailer at a time. Every year, our teams successfully load/unload over a million trailers and containers across the country. 

Learn more about why partnering with our professionals provides the best, safest, most timely, and most cost-effective solution to meet your supply chain timeline. Contact us today!