How to hire laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Clean recycling yard by sweeping, raking, picking up broken glass and loose paper debris, or moving barrels and bins. • Clean, inspect, or lubricate recyclable collection equipment or perform routine maintenance or minor repairs on recycling equipment, such as star gears, finger sorters, destoners, belts, and grinders. • Maintain equipment storage areas to ensure that inventory is protected. • Move freight, stock, or other materials to and from storage or production areas, loading docks, delivery vehicles, ships, or containers, by hand or using trucks, tractors, or other equipment. • Operate forklifts, pallet jacks, power lifts, or front-end loaders to load bales, bundles, or other heavy items onto trucks for shipping to smelters or other recycled materials processing facilities. • Read work orders or receive oral instructions to determine work assignments or material or equipment needs. • Sort materials, such as metals, glass, wood, paper or plastics, into appropriate containers for recycling. • Sort metals to separate high-grade metals, such as copper, brass, and aluminum, for recycling. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: No formal educational credential] • Strong active listening and monitoring skills • Working knowledge of production and processing and mechanical • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $19.35 an hour ($40,240 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to clean recycling yard by sweeping, raking, picking up broken glass and loose paper debris, or moving barrels and bins. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to clean, inspect, or lubricate recyclable collection equipment or perform routine maintenance or minor repairs on recycling equipment, such as star gears, finger sorters, destoners, belts, and grinders. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to maintain equipment storage areas to ensure that inventory is protected. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to move freight, stock, or other materials to and from storage or production areas, loading docks, delivery vehicles, ships, or containers, by hand or using trucks, tractors, or other equipment. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand do
- Clean recycling yard by sweeping, raking, picking up broken glass and loose paper debris, or moving barrels and bins.
- Clean, inspect, or lubricate recyclable collection equipment or perform routine maintenance or minor repairs on recycling equipment, such as star gears, finger sorters, destoners, belts, and grinders.
- Maintain equipment storage areas to ensure that inventory is protected.
- Move freight, stock, or other materials to and from storage or production areas, loading docks, delivery vehicles, ships, or containers, by hand or using trucks, tractors, or other equipment.
- Operate forklifts, pallet jacks, power lifts, or front-end loaders to load bales, bundles, or other heavy items onto trucks for shipping to smelters or other recycled materials processing facilities.
- Read work orders or receive oral instructions to determine work assignments or material or equipment needs.
- Sort materials, such as metals, glass, wood, paper or plastics, into appropriate containers for recycling.
- Sort metals to separate high-grade metals, such as copper, brass, and aluminum, for recycling.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
- Typical education to start: No formal educational credential (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: None (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +1.8% over ten years, little or no change · about 340,500 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | $46,280 |
| Washington | $46,190 |
| District of Columbia | $45,740 |
| North Dakota | $45,690 |
| Colorado | $45,370 |
| Mississippi | $36,400 |
| Arkansas | $35,920 |
| Louisiana | $35,340 |
See laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand pay in every state
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Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.