Shipping, Receiving and Traffic Clerk Job Description Template

In plain language: Identifies the exact job title, the department the role sits within, and the direct supervisor or manager the clerk reports to.

Common mistake: Using a generic title like 'Warehouse Associate' when the role has specific carrier coordination duties — this creates FLSA misclassification risk and makes the description useless for performance management.

In plain language: A 3–5 sentence overview of the role's core purpose — what the clerk does, who they support, and what outcomes they are accountable for.

Common mistake: Writing a position summary so broad it applies to any warehouse role. A vague summary undermines disciplinary proceedings when performance falls short of expectations.

In plain language: An itemized list of the specific tasks the clerk performs daily, weekly, and periodically — covering receiving, shipping, documentation, and carrier coordination.

Common mistake: Listing duties at too high a level ('handles shipping and receiving') without task-level specificity. When a performance issue arises, vague duty statements cannot support a corrective action plan or termination for cause.

In plain language: Identifies the physical equipment the clerk must be certified or trained to operate — forklifts, pallet jacks, hand trucks, label printers, and scanning devices.

Common mistake: Omitting equipment requirements and then citing inability to operate equipment as grounds for termination — courts and labor boards require the duty to have been documented at hire.

In plain language: Separates the minimum qualifications a candidate must have to be considered from additional skills or credentials that are advantageous but not mandatory.

Common mistake: Listing preferred qualifications as required. This narrows the applicant pool unnecessarily and may create disparate-impact exposure under Title VII or equivalent provincial human rights codes.

In plain language: Documents the physical requirements of the role — lifting capacity, standing duration, environmental conditions — to satisfy ADA essential-functions analysis and workers' compensation documentation.

Common mistake: Understating physical demands to attract more applicants. If the actual job requires lifting 50 lbs and the description says 25 lbs, the employer cannot enforce fitness-for-duty standards or deny accommodation requests on factual grounds.

In plain language: States the pay rate or salary range, FLSA exemption status, scheduled hours, and shift details.

Common mistake: Omitting the FLSA classification entirely. Without it, the employer has no documented basis for refusing overtime claims and may face back-pay liability covering up to three years under the FLSA's willful-violation standard.

In plain language: Defines the clerk's obligation to protect confidential shipment data, vendor pricing, customer information, and internal inventory levels.

Common mistake: Skipping confidentiality language for a non-desk role. Shipping clerks routinely handle customer addresses, vendor contracts, and proprietary SKU data — exposure is real and the omission is common.

In plain language: Records that the employee has read, understood, and agreed to the job description as a condition of employment or continued employment.

Common mistake: Omitting the at-will or notice disclaimer from the signature block. Without it, a signed job description can be introduced as evidence of an implied employment contract in wrongful termination proceedings.

A shipping receiving and traffic clerk job description is a formal document that defines the duties, qualifications, physical requirements, compensation classification, and reporting structure for a warehouse logistics role. It serves as the authoritative reference for hiring, onboarding, performance management, and — when signed — as an acknowledgment of the terms under which employment is offered.

Core duties typically include inspecting inbound shipments against purchase orders and packing slips, processing bills of lading and customs documents, scheduling carrier pickups and dock appointments, entering transactions into an ERP or WMS, maintaining shipping and receiving logs, operating material handling equipment, and escalating discrepancies to the supervisor. The more task-specific each duty is, the more useful the description becomes for performance management and disciplinary proceedings.

A job description is generally not a contract of employment in most jurisdictions, but it can be used as evidence of what the employer represented the role to be. To prevent a signed job description from being interpreted as an implied contract, include a disclaimer in the signature block stating that the document does not constitute an employment contract and that the employment relationship remains at-will or subject to applicable notice provisions.

In most cases, yes. Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerk roles typically involve manual, non-supervisory work that does not meet the FLSA's executive, administrative, or professional exemption tests. Most clerks in this category are entitled to overtime pay at 1.5× their regular rate for hours over 40 per week. Misclassifying this role as exempt can result in back-pay liability covering up to three years of unpaid overtime.

Document the maximum lifting weight (commonly 50–75 lbs for warehouse roles), duration of standing and walking per shift, temperature range of the working environment, exposure to noise and moving equipment, and any repetitive motion requirements such as bending, reaching, or gripping. Accurate documentation is the foundation for ADA accommodation analysis and workers' compensation claims.

Pay range disclosure is legally required in several US states including California, Colorado, New York, and Washington, and is increasingly required in Canadian provinces such as British Columbia and Prince Edward Island. Even where not legally required, including a pay range significantly improves applicant quality and reduces time-to-fill. Check your jurisdiction's current requirements before posting externally.

Review and update the job description whenever the role's duties change materially — such as when a new ERP system is implemented, carrier requirements change, or the volume of shipments increases significantly. At minimum, review all job descriptions annually during the performance cycle. An outdated description creates risk in disciplinary proceedings when the actual role has evolved beyond what is documented.

A shipping clerk focuses on preparing and processing outbound freight — packing, labeling, generating bills of lading, and coordinating pickups. A traffic clerk focuses on carrier selection, rate negotiation, freight routing, and compliance with carrier requirements. In smaller operations, one person performs both functions; this combined role is what the shipping, receiving, and traffic clerk job description covers.

Yes. An employee signature confirms the individual received, read, and understood the documented duties and requirements. This is particularly important for physical demands (supporting accommodation and fitness-for-duty analysis), equipment requirements (supporting disciplinary action if certification obligations are not met), and confidentiality obligations. Obtain the signature before or on the first day of work to avoid fresh-consideration complications.