Insider Info

Do you ever stroll through a large supermarket or department store and wonder who is responsible for keeping track of all that merchandise? Who counts the items in stock, or "takes inventory," as it is called?

Who arranges for orders of new merchandise, and who inspects the items when they are delivered to be sure the store received the correct amount at the right price? Who looks after shipping out orders that have been placed by mail order or Internet?

The folks who do this are called shippers and receivers. In large companies, the shipper and the receiver may be two different positions or two different departments.

Jim Chand has been with the same company for 30 years. "I used to run the warehouse, but the company changed hands. I am the shipper now, but I used to run the distribution part of it," he says. Chand was trained on the job, but he also received some outside training that was offered by various companies.

Chand's responsibilities involve overseeing all shipping, both in and out of town. He arranges shipping to other branches of the company and to the customers.

"The orders are printed out on a computer. Order fillers go out and bring the orders to benches. We check the orders and pack it in boxes. Packages have to be well packed. If it is glasses or light bulbs, for example, we have to put paper around them and then the boxes have to be well packaged. You can't put another box on top; it'll just crumble or sag."

Shippers and receivers tend to follow a specific routine. "Then we label the boxes. The labels have to be written clearly so that people can read them. Then the invoices are produced from a big ticket. Then we write up the...weigh bill. When that's done, we phone the trucking company and they come and get the order."

Chand is required to know transportation services very well. Certain trucking companies travel to some areas but not to others. He has to find the right truck for the right company, as well as find the cheapest price possible. He also has to be very familiar with weights and measures, as items are sold and shipped by weight.

What Chand likes best about his work is the way it keeps him physically active. "That's one of the reasons I stayed in the company. Some like office jobs, some like to be on the road and traveling all the time. But me, I like this type of work where I keep moving all the time. I can stay in shape and be active."

The work can become stressful from time to time when it is busy. "You might be short-handed and have a lot of orders to fill. Or sometimes you hurt your back by moving heavy items. But otherwise, it is usually fairly easy to do.

The most important thing, in Chand's opinion, is to know the products very well. "The reps from different companies give training. You have to attend and learn."

In other operations, one person might be responsible for performing both duties. Mark Prudhon has been a shipper-receiver and warehouse supervisor for several years. His training was acquired on the job.

"[My company] handles pharmaceuticals," says Prudhon. "In the morning, I receive things that come in. I open them and deliver them to the right places. In the afternoons, I ship things out. In between, I put things on the shelf like they do in grocery stores. And I answer questions all day long.

"People are constantly asking me questions like, 'Where's my stuff?' or 'When is my order going to arrive?' It's like a store, essentially. I put the items on a shelf. I ship the orders out."

Prudhon enjoys this type of work because it is never boring. There is always something to do and always work needing to be done. He likes the fact that he is not tied to a desk, and that he can move around, both indoors and outdoors.

"Sometimes you have to be a detective, and that's fun. You receive products with the paperwork missing. You don't know what it is or who sent it. You have to track down that information and solve the puzzle.

"You have to be very detail-oriented," Prudhon advises. "There are always different things happening, always changes. You are dealing with a vast number of people. But dealing with people can also be stressful. You can't keep everybody happy no matter how hard you try."

Shipping and receiving is a lot of work, and it is not always rewarding, warns Prudhon. "But it can be a lot of fun, and there is always work to be found in this field."

In smaller companies, the shipper-receiver might combine shipping and receiving tasks with an array of other responsibilities. "I'm a jack of all trades," says Cindy Olson, a clerk with a storage company.

Among other tasks, Olson is responsible for doing the paperwork -- inventory, scheduling and keeping track of the details. "The orders come in over fax or phone. I schedule the shipments or deliveries, do the paperwork, then I send the orders to the warehouse where they get everything ready. "

Olson's training includes studying vocational technology in office occupations and bookkeeping. "I know that in larger companies, shipping and receiving can be very stressful. But it isn't stressful here!"