Top 12 Freight Associate Skills to Put on Your Resume

In today's job market, standing out as a freight associate takes a sharp mix of hands-on know-how and people skills. Put the right skills up front and your resume starts doing real work—showing you can move freight fast, keep errors low, and make customers breathe easier.

Freight Associate Skills

1. Forklift Operation
2. Inventory Management
3. Pallet Jack
4. SAP Logistics
5. Shipping Procedures
6. Receiving Protocols
7. RF Scanning
8. Hazardous Materials Handling
9. Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)
10. Order Picking
11. Supply Chain Coordination
12. Logistics Planning

1. Forklift Operation

Forklift operation, for a Freight Associate, means moving, stacking, loading, and unloading goods safely and efficiently across docks and warehouse aisles.

Why It's Important

It keeps freight flowing, cuts handling time, protects people and product, and preserves inventory accuracy. Done right, it’s the backbone of daily throughput.

How to Improve Forklift Operation Skills

Sharpen safety, precision, and speed without cutting corners.

1. OSHA‑compliant training: Complete employer-provided training and evaluation; refresh regularly and document it.
2. Pre-shift inspections: Check forks, hydraulics, brakes, horn, lights, tires, and battery or fuel. Tag out anything questionable.
3. Load discipline: Know capacity, keep center of gravity low, tilt back properly, and never exceed rated limits.
4. Situational awareness: Control speed, use horns at intersections, maintain clear lines of sight, and respect pedestrian zones.
5. Telematics and checklists: Use onboard devices for access control, impact monitoring, and maintenance prompts to curb bad habits and downtime.
6. Ergonomics: Adjust seating, mirrors, and controls; rotate tasks to reduce fatigue.
7. Continuous practice: Drills for tight turns, narrow aisles, dock plates, and mixed load sizes build muscle memory.

Smarter habits, safer floor, better numbers.

How to Display Forklift Operation Skills on Your Resume

2. Inventory Management

Inventory management means receiving, storing, counting, slotting, and releasing product so the right items exist in the right place, at the right moment, in the right quantity.

Why It's Important

It trims carrying costs, prevents stockouts and overages, speeds order fulfillment, and keeps customers from waiting or guessing.

How to Improve Inventory Management Skills

1. Real-time system: Use an inventory/WMS solution with live updates, scan validation, and location control.
2. Cycle counting and ABC: Count frequently for A items, less for B/C. Reconcile variances fast.
3. FIFO/FEFO rules: Move the oldest or earliest-expiring stock first to prevent write-offs.
4. Forecasting and reorder points: Base min/max and safety stock on lead time, demand variability, and service targets.
5. Slotting optimization: Place fast movers close to pack-out; reduce travel with smart zoning.
6. Standard work: Clear SOPs for receiving, putaway, counting, replenishment, and picking. Train and audit.
7. Supplier alignment: Confirm lead times, pack sizes, and ASN accuracy to curb surprises.
8. Data hygiene: Maintain clean item masters, units of measure, and barcodes (GS1 standards) to keep scans honest.

Accuracy up, waste down, orders out the door.

How to Display Inventory Management Skills on Your Resume

3. Pallet Jack

A pallet jack—manual or powered—lifts and rolls palletized loads across short distances, threading through tight spaces where larger equipment is overkill.

Why It's Important

It speeds moves, reduces strain, and supports safe handling for loads too heavy to push by hand but too small for a forklift.

How to Improve Pallet Jack Skills

1. Preventive care: Inspect wheels, forks, and hydraulic seals; lubricate per schedule; replace worn casters early.
2. Right technique: Pull when possible for visibility; push on ramps; keep loads stable and clear of feet.
3. Fit for purpose: Use powered jacks for long hauls or heavy lifts; wide or long-fork options for nonstandard pallets.
4. Helpful add-ons: Stops, chocks, stabilizers, and skid adapters improve safety.
5. Ergonomics: Choose comfortable handles and heights; rotate tasks to prevent repetitive strain.

Simple tool, serious impact when handled well.

How to Display Pallet Jack Skills on Your Resume

4. SAP Logistics

SAP logistics capabilities (commonly via EWM, TM, and MM) manage inbound, storage, picking, shipping, and freight planning—tying orders to physical moves so operations and data match reality.

Why It's Important

It centralizes inventory, routes, and charges; streamlines execution; reduces manual touchpoints; and gives visibility from dock to delivery.

How to Improve SAP Logistics Skills

1. Clean master data: Maintain items, packs, locations, carriers, and handling units with strict governance.
2. Integrations: Connect with carriers, EDI/API feeds, scales, and RF devices for real-time status and fewer keying errors.
3. Planning tools: Use TM for load building, mode selection, and route optimization; enforce constraints that reflect the floor.
4. Analytics: Build dashboards for dwell time, pick rates, dock utilization, and OTIF; act on trends, not hunches.
5. Role-based training: Train by task (receiving, picking, shipping) and keep quick-reference guides current after releases.

Better setup equals smoother moves and clearer signals.

How to Display SAP Logistics Skills on Your Resume

5. Shipping Procedures

Shipping procedures cover packing, labeling, documentation, loading, tendering to carriers, and confirming delivery—safely and in compliance.

Why It's Important

Right steps prevent damage, delays, fines, and chargebacks, while keeping customers informed and orders predictable.

How to Improve Shipping Procedures Skills

1. Standardize: Clear SOPs for packing specs, labeling rules, carrier handoffs, and scan points.
2. Automate: Generate labels, BOLs, and documents from order data; automate manifesting and pickups where possible.
3. Right packaging: Use tested materials, dunnage, and pallet patterns; verify weight and dimensions to avoid re-bills.
4. Real-time visibility: Capture scan events and proof of delivery; send proactive updates on exceptions.
5. Carrier mix: Keep options for service levels and lanes; track on-time performance and claims rates.
6. Audits and feedback: Review shipments for accuracy, damages, and costs; close the loop with corrective actions.

Less friction on the dock, fewer surprises on the road.

How to Display Shipping Procedures Skills on Your Resume

6. Receiving Protocols

Receiving protocols are the rules for accepting freight: verify counts, inspect condition, document differences, and route items to the right locations fast.

Why It's Important

Strong intake keeps inventory honest, protects margins, and launches every downstream step on the right foot.

How to Improve Receiving Protocols Skills

1. Pre-advice and ASN use: Match shipments against ASNs to speed discrepancies and dock scheduling.
2. Damage control: Photo evidence, exception codes, and quarantine zones keep problems contained and traceable.
3. Scan-on-receipt: Barcode/RFID capture for item, lot, serial, and expiry; print putaway labels on the spot.
4. Directed putaway: Use rules (size, velocity, hazmat class, temperature) to drive where items go.
5. Team training: Walkthroughs on SOPs, PPE, and equipment; refreshers after process changes.
6. Metrics: Track dock-to-stock time, discrepancy rate, and first-pass yield; improve what lags.

Fast, clean receiving prevents costly unraveling later.

How to Display Receiving Protocols Skills on Your Resume

7. RF Scanning

RF scanning uses handhelds or wearables to capture barcodes and update inventory and task status in real time.

Why It's Important

It slashes keying errors, accelerates picks and putaways, and provides traceability you can trust.

How to Improve RF Scanning Skills

1. Hands-on training: Show shortcuts, error codes, and best paths; practice with live workflows.
2. Ergonomic gear: Choose devices that fit the job—gun grips, ring scanners, or voice-scan hybrids.
3. Up-to-date software: Keep firmware and WMS clients current for better performance and fewer glitches.
4. Smart layout: Logical slotting and signage cut travel and scanning misreads.
5. Battery discipline: Charging routines and spare pools prevent mid-shift drop-offs.
6. Feedback loop: Capture user pain points and tweak prompts, screens, and flows.

Scan once, scan clean, keep moving.

How to Display RF Scanning Skills on Your Resume

8. Hazardous Materials Handling

Hazardous materials handling means storing, labeling, moving, and shipping regulated substances safely and in compliance with applicable rules.

Why It's Important

It protects people and the environment, prevents incidents, and avoids fines or shutdowns.

How to Improve Hazardous Materials Handling Skills

1. Proper training: Complete hazmat employee training per regulations and refresh on schedule.
2. Follow regulations: Adhere to classification, packaging, marking, labeling, placarding, and documentation requirements.
3. PPE and equipment: Use correct protective gear, spill kits, and containment; inspect regularly.
4. SDS access: Keep Safety Data Sheets current and accessible; know first-aid and response procedures.
5. Emergency readiness: Drill spill response, evacuation, and reporting steps; stage materials accordingly.
6. Storage controls: Separate incompatibles, monitor temperature/ventilation, and maintain clear signage.

Compliance is nonnegotiable; preparation keeps it that way.

How to Display Hazardous Materials Handling Skills on Your Resume

9. Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)

A WMS orchestrates receiving, putaway, inventory control, picking, packing, and shipping, creating real-time visibility and directed work for warehouse teams.

Why It's Important

It reduces errors, shortens cycle times, and gives the data needed to plan labor and hit service goals.

How to Improve Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) Skills

1. Integrate broadly: Connect WMS with ERP, TMS, carriers, automation, and RF devices for seamless data flow.
2. Use analytics: Monitor pick rates, travel time, slot utilization, and aging; act on bottlenecks.
3. Invest in training: Role-based instruction, sandbox practice, and quick guides help teams use more of the system, correctly.
4. Go mobile: Employ handheld workflows for tasks, exceptions, and cycle counts to keep data live.
5. Customize thoughtfully: Configure rules (wave vs. waveless, replenishment triggers, cartonization) to fit your operation, with scalability in mind.
6. Continuous improvement: Gather user feedback, pilot changes, measure, and iterate.

Right process plus right system beats raw effort every time.

How to Display Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) Skills on Your Resume

10. Order Picking

Order picking is the art of pulling the right items, in the right quantities, fast—then getting them packed and shipped without mistakes.

Why It's Important

It drives customer satisfaction and costs in one swing. Accurate picks mean fewer returns and fewer headaches.

How to Improve Order Picking Skills

• Slot for speed: Put high-velocity items near pack-out; reduce bends, reaches, and backtracking.
• Pick methods: Use batch, zone, or wave/waveless picking based on order profiles; consider pick-to-light or voice where it fits.
• Scan verification: Confirm item and quantity at pick and pack; enforce exceptions handling.
• Guided paths: Optimize routes to trim travel time; keep aisles clear and labeled.
• Replenishment discipline: Top off pick faces before peaks; lock bins during replen to avoid mixed counts.
• Coaching and KPIs: Coach to pick rate, accuracy, and short picks; celebrate wins and fix root causes.

Fast is good. Fast and right is money.

How to Display Order Picking Skills on Your Resume

11. Supply Chain Coordination

Supply chain coordination aligns vendors, carriers, warehouses, and customers so materials and information move together without tripping over each other.

Why It's Important

It cuts lead times, reduces costs, and boosts reliability—crucial when demand shifts or capacity tightens.

How to Improve Supply Chain Coordination Skills

1. Shared visibility: Use common milestones, EDI/APIs, and dashboards so everyone sees the same truth.
2. Joint planning: Align forecasts, buffers, and calendars; confirm lead times and cutoff windows.
3. Right-sizing inventory: Set safety stock and reorder points by variability and service goals; revisit after seasonality hits.
4. Carrier and supplier scorecards: Track OTIF, dwell, damage, and responsiveness; review regularly.
5. Exception playbooks: Pre-agree on substitutions, expedites, and reroutes to act fast when plans wobble.

Less firefighting, more flow.

How to Display Supply Chain Coordination Skills on Your Resume

12. Logistics Planning

Logistics planning sets the strategy for how freight moves—mode, route, load plan, timing, and cost—while staying compliant and adaptable.

Why It's Important

It squeezes waste out of the network and keeps promises realistic, even when conditions change.

How to Improve Logistics Planning Skills

1. Use the right tools: Plan routes, consolidate loads, and simulate scenarios; tie plans to real capacity.
2. Data-driven decisions: Analyze lane performance, accessorials, and dwell; prune what underperforms.
3. Communication rhythm: Cadence with warehouse, carriers, and customers to align gate times and labor plans.
4. Contingencies: Alternate carriers, backup modes, weather routes, and drop trailers for resilience.
5. Inventory alignment: Balance order cutoffs and replenishment cycles with transport lead times.
6. Continuous refinement: Review KPIs like cost per shipment, OTIF, and claims; iterate monthly and before peaks.

Plan tight, monitor live, adjust quickly.

How to Display Logistics Planning Skills on Your Resume