There are numerous reasons to hire warehouse lumpers over hiring day laborers and/or diverting existing full-time staffers from their assigned duties. The primary reason is that it is, in the long term, the most efficient and cost-effective way to “get the job done” and may we add, get the job done safely. All too often, when tasked with keeping overhead costs down, logistics, transportation carriers, and warehouse managers resort to “the easy way out”. They will take some of their workers from their daily routines and expect them to unload a trailer when it arrives at the warehouse dock. Or, they hire unskilled day laborers, hoping that these workers will get the job done as quickly as professional warehouse lumpers. They discover in short order that these methods are seldom easy nor save them money. These tactics put their entire enterprise at risk. Here’s why:
Warehouse lumpers play an important role in warehouse logistics. Hiring skilled professionals from a leading firm such as Express Freight Handlers, reduces the amount of damage that can occur in transit, and when unloading, if damage caused by non-professional loading is discovered, these goods can be itemized, separated from the remaining assets, and an inventory report created for insurance purposes. Best of all, loading or unloading continues with as little time lost as possible. Express Freight Handlers’ seasoned warehouse lumpers work in teams, with a supervisor who can attend to logging any issues while the team continues the task at hand. Unskilled workers not only take longer to perform lumper tasks but also, through their inexperience and attempt to perform the job quickly, put themselves and others at risk of injury with the potential for a liability lawsuit.
Unlike unskilled and untrained workers, Express Freight Handlers’ teams are OSHA-trained and certified. Another important aspect to understand: full-time staffers are on your payroll for 40 hours a week, performing their assigned tasks. When diverted to unload freight, no one is performing their routine tasks, therefore your revenues may be taking a hit. These workers are also far more likely to cause injury to themselves or others through inexperience with the heavy equipment required to perform the unloading tasks, among many other reasons. When an injury occurs, the possibility of a liability or Worker’s Comp claim by one of your existing staff is your responsibility. However, Express Freight Handlers’ teams are covered by our insurance, not yours. We perform the job at hand, and once that is approved, we leave. Long term, partnering with Express Freight Handlers to provide warehouse lumpers by the job is not only efficient but reduces potential liability and overhead costs.
Learn more about Express Freight Handlers by contacting our team. We serve clients in over 38 states and safely load and unload over a million trailers and containers every year. Bring us your questions, we’ll provide the efficiency and peace of mind your organization has been striving for. Call today!
