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Material Handlers (7452)

Among the occupations currently in highest demand in All of Québec

Occupation with high worker turnover

The English text is currently unavailable. Please refer to the French text below.

Qualification and skills most often required

Le plus souvent, aucune formation particulière n’est exigée par les employeurs. Une formation spécialisée dans le domaine ou le diplôme d’études secondaires (DES) peuvent être demandés. Le cours en conduite préventive et mesures de sécurité (donné par la Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail) est requis. La fiabilité, l’honnêteté, la disponibilité, la ponctualité, la possibilité de fournir des références, la minutie et le sens de l’organisation sont exigés. Pour certains postes, il peut être nécessaire de posséder un permis de conduire approprié et de l’expérience dans la conduite d’un chariot élévateur. Il faut être en bonne condition physique. Le bilinguisme peut être un atout.

Reason for labor demand

Les centres de distribution, les entreprises manufacturières, les entreprises des secteurs du commerce de gros et de détail ainsi que le secteur du transport sont à l’origine de la demande de main-d’œuvre dans cette profession. La demande de main-d’œuvre est également occasionnée par le roulement de personnel attribuable aux exigences physiques liées à l’emploi et aux tâches répétitives à effectuer, de même qu’aux conditions de travail parfois difficiles (travail le soir, la nuit et les fins de semaine, temps partiel).

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Job titles

  • ash handler
  • automated storage and retrieval system operator
  • automatic pallet equipment operator
  • View all job titles

Nature of work

This unit group includes workers who handle, move, load and unload materials by hand or using a variety of material handling equipment. They are employed by transportation, storage and moving companies, and by a variety of manufacturing and processing companies and retail and wholesale warehouses.

Fields of interest

  • Doing sports or physical activities
  • Working with your hands

Main duties

  • Material handlers (manual) perform some or all of the following duties:
  • - Load, unload and move products and materials by hand or using basic material handling equipment
  • - Move household appliances and furniture onto and off moving trucks or vans
  • - Set up rooms for events, dismantle moveable walls and partitions, and organize or set up office furniture
  • - Perform other material handling activities such as counting, weighing, sorting, packing and unpacking.
  • Material handlers (equipment operators) perform some or all of the following duties:
  • - Operate winches and other loading devices to load and unload materials onto and off trucks, railway cars and loading docks of warehouses and industrial establishments
  • - Operate industrial trucks, tractors, loaders and other equipment to transport materials to and from transportation vehicles and loading docks and to store and retrieve materials in warehouses
  • - Connect hoses or pipes and operate equipment to load and unload liquid petroleum, chemical or other products into or from tank cars, tank trucks or storage tanks
  • - Operate equipment to dump materials such as coal, ore and grain into or to remove materials from railway cars, trucks or other vehicles
  • - Operate conveyors and equipment to transfer grain or other materials from transportation vehicles to elevators, bins or other storage areas
  • - May perform other activities, such as opening containers and crates, filling warehouse orders, assisting in taking inventory and weighing and checking materials.

Main characteristics of the occupation

These headings are provided for the following occupation(s) :

Employment requirements

  • * Some secondary school education may be required.
  • * Physical strength is required for manual material handlers who work with heavy materials.

Skill type

  • Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations

Skill level

  • Intermediate

Job titles - Classified elsewhere

Professional associations

  • Comité sectoriel de main-d'œuvre de l'industrie du transport routier au Québec
  • 1100, boulevard Crémazie Est
  • Bureau 202
  • Montréal, QC
  • H2P2X2
  • Phone: 514-593-5811
  • Fax: 514-593-5611
  • Email: info@camo-route.com