If you’re considering a job in the warehouse industry or about to start one, get ready to learn a whole new language! Every job, every industry, has its terminologies and phrases that might sound foreign or confusing to someone brand new. Here is some basic warehouse terminology to help you learn the lingo.

Cross-docking

If you’re cross-docking something, you’re taking materials from one truck, or pallet to another. This might be a cargo truck to a semi-trailer, or a semi-trailer to a railroad car. Cross-docking is typically a process for items that do not spend a long time inside a warehouse but will be received and then shipped out again quickly. It’s an efficient way to move from one carrier to another, sort materials from one shipment into smaller orders or destinations, or combine products from different shipments into a single container for delivery.

Intermodal transport

Similar to cross-docking, intermodal transport means carriers might move materials from location to location in a single container. The cargo itself is not handled until it lands at the final destination.

Picking and packaging (or pick and pack)

This is something you’re likely to hear a lot in most warehouses. This is a process involving receiving and logging goods from a shipment in a warehouse, taking apart the containers they came in and dividing out individual or relevant products, selecting the items needed for each destination or next client, then labeling each grouping for distribution. It’s a matter of breaking down larger orders into smaller ones based on client needs.

Segregation

If you receive an order containing multiple items, segregation is the process of separating that order into different segments for storage, picking, packing and further distribution to other orders.

Transloading

The process of transferring cargo and shipping containers from one vehicle to another, like unloading a cargo container from a train onto a semi-truck trailer.

Bar coding

Scanning, labeling and tracking products and packages so they can be followed throughout the inventory process, possibly through the final destination. This is an important process for keeping inventory and fulfilling orders.

Cycle count

This is part of an inventory management system and pertains to parts of warehouse and customer products that are regularly counted and inventoried to ensure accuracy and reduce the risk of loss and waste. It’s a faster and more efficient process that can focus on high-value items or those deemed of particular importance to the company.

Palletizing

This is a method for storing, managing and transporting goods stored and stacked on small, flat platforms made of wooden strips, or pallets. Palletizing keeps orders organized and in one place before shipment and allows for easy movement of those items for shipping.

Repacking and repackaging

This is the process of changing a shipment or order after it has been collected for transport. This might mean putting items in a branded packaging or it could mean using different packaging materials to meet a customer’s requests.

Looking for work in a warehouse?

If you’re looking for help landing, a warehouse job, call LaborMAX. Our recruiters are eager to help you land the right position in the right company and get you back to work.

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