Description
Supervise and coordinate dock loading, unloading, staging, and cross-docking, leading dockworkers and equipment operators to meet safety, service, and productivity goals.
- • Enforce dock and forklift safety rules and OSHA regulations.
- • Plan dock labor, door assignments, and equipment to meet inbound and outbound schedules.
- • Coordinate with drivers, dispatch, warehouse, and customers to exchange information and resolve issues.
- • Resolve worker issues and coach employees on problem-solving.
- • Review bills of lading, manifests, routing guides, and schedules to set work sequences, ship dates, volumes, and destinations.
- • Recommend and implement improvements to productivity, equipment utilization, workflows, and service.
- • Maintain and verify timekeeping, trailer logs, freight status, and dock activity records.
- • Interpret shipping instructions, company policies, and safety procedures for dock staff.
- • Train new hires and assign on-the-job training to experienced workers.
- • Prepare and submit reports on dock operations, throughput, exceptions, and incidents.
- • Recommend or carry out hiring, evaluations, recognition, and corrective actions.
- • Requisition labor, pallets, supplies, dock plates, forklifts, parts, or repair services.
- • Inspect freight, pallets, trailers, forklifts, and dock doors for safety and compliance with specifications.
- • Estimate labor, door capacity, equipment, and storage needs for shifts.
- • Dispatch yard trucks or assign doors in response to schedule changes or emergencies.
- • Schedule and coordinate preventive maintenance for forklifts, dock levelers, and other equipment.
- • Weigh, measure, or scan freight to determine handling and classification requirements.
- • Operate a forklift or assist on the dock as needed to meet deadlines.
- • Monitor dock operations to ensure proper handling, labeling, and use of materials.
- • Assist workers with loading, unloading, and palletization as required.
- • Direct dock crews in receiving, staging, cross-docking, and loading or unloading activities.
- • Plan and publish shift schedules and lane or door plans.
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Supply Chain & Transportation
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Source
Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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Sources & Standards:
This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
