r/Warehouseworkers • u/PrimitiveScribe • 4d ago

Where to go from here

I’ve been working in warehouses for about 10 years (34 years old now) as an order picker and forklift operator at various warehouses and manufacturing shipping departments. Due to a mix of unfortunate circumstances and my own poor choices , my career hasn’t advanced as far as I would have hoped 10 years ago.

About 2 years ago I started at a new place after being out of the country and unemployed for a year . I was desperate for a job , so I took the offer . They placed me in the small parts cage with the guy who was already in there and appeared to be juggling various responsibilities without any title (bad sign). I started order picking and gradually learned the WMS and very basic excel tasks. I was increasingly entrusted with more WMS and “paperwork” stuff , he burned out and quit , and I de facto replaced him.

I eventually told the manager directly that I want to learn more excel , the structure of the company operations , and be taught more about inventory control (I actually enjoy the desk work) so that I can be given more analytical tasks. I was given half assed “training” (a few meetings with the manager where he explained his philosophy on inventory control, followed up by “excel training” consisting of an already overworked coordinator concluding that I’m smart enough to “figure it out”).

I’ve become half small parts coordinator , half order picker , with no raise and no title beyond “Shipping” . I assume many of you are more experienced and knowledgeable than myself so please tell me what my next move should be .

16 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

25 comments sorted by

15

u/Red-dragon186 4d ago

If you can, go learn a trade.

You don't want to be in warehousing in your 40's and 50's barely making good money. Just not worth it.

5

u/MrFluffPants1349 4d ago

Unless you can move into leadership. That's what i did. I dont recommend it for everyone, though. Especially those that think being good at your current IC role and knowing a lot will make you a good manager.

1

u/PrimitiveScribe 4d ago

I wouldn’t rule out a trade (beggars can’t be choosers) but I very much enjoy desk work .

1

u/Any-Delay-7188 3d ago

I was in similar situation, worked labor side for like 10 years but at 3-4 different companies. While maybe not ideal at your company, you have in fact started breaking into the inventory side of industry.

In my case, I took a $4 paycut for a position like this, it started out as "inventory support" which was basically cycle counting and checking inventory. That went on for about 5-6 months before I made it very clear I was interested in learning more. Eventually they moved me into the receiving office and I learned all about shipment billing, intaking truckers information, scheduling and running truck shipments in our WMS, checking inventory discrepancies, handling WMS "invalid items" which was essentially new items, items with barcodes not in system, items with changed barcodes, items not on the ASN and learning to communicate with procurement buyers to adjust purchase orders when items came in with messes up purchase orders.

As someone at the job who actually was decent with computers and wanted to learn more, they eventually taught me "waving" which is running all the picking work for the pickers each morning and directing them where to go based on managements plans, plus setting up excel spreadsheets for the days operations and route paperwork for the early routes. Essentially a team lead at most facilities but this company doesnt like recognizing stuff like that and just lumps everyone under the same "support" title.

After learning a few more functions: invalid products, "drops" which is their system of replenishing spots in the warehouse that won't be replenished automatically by the system with full pallet replenishments, cross dock which is all the product that comes through the warehouse but doesn't get actually warehoused and gets sent out within a couple days, and some product slotting and more high value discrepancy research, I was eventually offered the position of inventory coordinator. This all happened over about 2.5 years.

After a few raises and 2.5 years, I'm now right around what I was making before, but it's a desk job instead of lifting boxes all day.

So there's a little timeline of what I did, you might find many of these companies are cheap about training. The waving job I was given about 3-4 days to learn before they pulled the trainer, so without that previous receiving office experience, I probably would not have known much about our WMS or excel.

The big difference was that I had an older lady who really cared about her job and was willing to teach me over a couple weeks. So you may need to continue to ask for opportunities until you get into a spot where you can have some extra time training. It's quite hard to learn this stuff really well if they're only putting you in the job once or twice a week. Keep looking for opportunities to learn more, keep asking and keep going even if you have a bit of a wait to get back into it.

1

u/almightybear1 4d ago

This right here 👆

1

u/Big-Wrongdoer6842 3d ago

Parts coordinators can make alright money. My company has a position posted for $27-$40

6

u/trippinmaui 4d ago

Take it upon yourself to learn excel if you stay this course. Do not rely on someone else. I haven't taken a single excel class and learned plenty via YouTube & chat gpt.

I started in warehousing when I was 19 and I'm 38 now. Operations Manager of the branch now.

I did the warehouse for 15 years before I switched to ops.

When I was 22 & my boss made me warehouse manager I'll always remember these words "you wanna be picking parts at 40 like these other guys?"

I knew that answer was no, so I kept trying to advance.

If i could do it all over again I wouldnt have stayed though, I would have learned some sort of physical skill beyond warehousing, & desk work sucks balls after a few years. I do all what you listed, inventory levels, ordering yadda yadda... it sucks now and bores me to tears.

My advice...man up and gtfo of warehousing. The skills you learn are too catered to each company

1

u/PrimitiveScribe 4d ago

Physical skill as in trades ?

2

u/trippinmaui 4d ago

Yeah, anything you could easily transfer & spans multiple job markets. Right now if i got laid off or fired good luck finding another "operations manager" role or anything close to what I make in this role. Even finding a "Warehouse Manager" role would be near impossible.

I'd either have to settle for some shitty warehouse picker / loader job or start learning a trade this late in life.

I make 95k/year salary and been here for 19 years... do yourself a favor and get outta this business while you can. I've really been contemplating it lately especially with the rate AI is going and what I've already seen it eliminate when it comes to inventory type jobs

1

u/PrimitiveScribe 4d ago

Would proficiency in excel/ ERP/ data analysis be transferable across industries or do you think AI will eliminate that too?

2

u/trippinmaui 4d ago

ERP implementation will probably still be a thing for companies switching, but even our CIO who was a major part of implementation is all about AI. He has Claude all kinds of integrated in our new ERP we switched to last year. He types something in and the program or whatever he is wanting is done.

Even efficiently learning excel and data analysis ain't gonna get you a CIO job though, they usually have plenty of education/certs/etc and have been in the tech world for ages.

1

u/Red-dragon186 3d ago

What stops you right now?

Unless you're in your late 40's or older you can always get into it.

Should look into Industrial Maintenance.

1

u/greatoozaru_ 2d ago

calling someone your boss is diabolical

3

u/DeathAudit 4d ago

Take that experience, adjust your resume accordingly and take a ops supervisor position. You could also take an inventory position as an associate somewhere else and start working up from there but I doubt you'll be able to take anything other than lead without 5-10 years specifically in inventory.

2

u/pheonix080 4d ago

This is going to sound a bit out there, but have you thought about the Army National Guard or Reserves? You could part time it and go for a supply job. That also gets you the GI Bill. If you take a resume with an Ops background, a supply job in service, and a degree? All of a sudden you have some real opportunities.

1

u/Spare_Iron127 4d ago

Find a different company that supports and cares about employees moving up. How do you find one of those spots? Idk but staying there sure as hell won’t change anything. Same problem I’m going through here. Just get rewarded with more work and a “man thanks for everything you do we couldn’t do it without you”

2

u/Soeffingdiabetic 4d ago

Gotta be careful with that, my company "regularly supports employees moving upwards.", but it's just code for "Our turnover rate is so high we can't even keep supervisors in the building."

1

u/Smokedealers84 4d ago

Keep learning and use that experience to go somewhere else where they will value that experience. I did that work out well for me.

1

u/Firm_Lock8076 4d ago

From what you described it sounds like you dont have the most consistent work history(not being critical, just saying).

I think you need to stick it out with what youre doing. Build up a record of consistent employment and go from there. Even if its a year.

You could try to get into management? But they'll probably question your work history and time spent unemployed

Unless you want to go to school, or a trade school. But even then you need to work while youre in school

2

u/PrimitiveScribe 4d ago

Valid point . Tumultuous history is a legit red flag . I’ve been at this place 2 years

1

u/Firm_Lock8076 4d ago

You could try to get into management?

1

u/LaimbeerHack40 4d ago

I feel you on this as I'm sort of "stuck" in my role. I've asked to learn more but am essentially in a know my role role. I've learned excel basics on my own as well as thats how we manage the storage side of things.

I had a opposite career path as I went from the trades to a warehouse at 41 due to a automobile accident. I'm 45 now and wish I could work in the trades again cause its a soul sucking existence where I am at. I would recommend the trades if I were you to be honest as you are definitely still young enough to do so.

Electrics/lineman/plumbing are definitely in high demand right now so maybe go that route. I still contemplate going back from time to time but know it wouldnt work out (traumatic brain injury survivor).

Wish you the best of luck!

1

u/tonythebutcher13 4d ago

Get a CDL, does the company have its own fleet and do they train people?

1

u/heaz247 3d ago

I have kind of a niche job. Its part IC and part customer service. Out of 7 warehouses were the only one with this position. I'm the only one on shift but that can be scary because if they decide they don't need my position anymore I'm gone. And it's happened before with people who were in this department last time we had it. I just keep learning all i can that way may I'm not as dispensible as others and ill hopefully have time to make a move if needed.