Working in transport and warehousing settings brings numerous opportunities to develop your capabilities and advance in your career. Here’s some advice on the key skills required and how to get the most out of your role.
Skills linked to specific roles
Depending on what your job entails, there will be particular skills that are given primary focus. For instance, a transport manager needs to fully understand how the system works and be able to adapt to temporary restrictions and new ways of working.
Meanwhile, drivers will spend most of their week on the road and visiting customers, so they must be responsible, polite and punctual at all times. As for being based in a warehouse, attention to detail and adherence to health and safety practices are crucial in order to work effectively.
By understanding your role and the duties involved, you take ownership over how you work and enable greater productivity and output. In the process, flexibility and a proactive attitude will ensure that you always stay on top of best practice.
Skills that benefit every role
The transport and warehousing sectors are fast-paced, highly precise and constantly changing. In order to excel in your role, there are multiple skills that will prove essential:
- Analytical and numerical skills: Transport and warehousing roles come with a lot of information and numbers, so being confident with analysing figures and data will help you to interpret where you currently are and what needs to be done next to hit your targets.
- An eye for detail: Stock and inventory are crucial to business continuity, which means they need to be monitored at all times. From storing materials safely to ensuring that everything can be accessed with ease, an eye for detail will prevent mistakes and accidents from occurring.
- Health and safety: Needless to say, employees in transport and warehousing environments need to follow all health and safety policies to the letter. This can include anything from spill containment and working at height to driving forklifts and operating machinery in a responsible manner, all of which must be in full effect around the clock.
- Flexibility: No matter how smoothly a business operates, there will always be unexpected issues that arise. Whether it’s supply chain delays, staff absenteeism or malfunctioning equipment, it’s crucial that you’re able to respond accordingly. This will involve analysing the problem and coming up with a solution very quickly, which requires a comprehensive understanding of how everything is connected and the ability to work creatively.
- Teamwork: Whilst warehouses are very busy places, drivers will spend a lot of time working alone. In either case, teamwork and communication are core skills that allow everyone to stay on the same page and work as a unit. Face-to-face, written and digital communication all play a part and vague messages can cause unnecessary issues, so always be clear, respectful and professional when communicating with your colleagues and line managers.
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Posted: Fri 27 Aug 2021