Day in the Life of a Warehouse Team Leader

Through the door, it feels like the private Ryan landing scene (without wanting to sound blasé about the reality of war).There are pallets, cages, shrinkwrap, MHE & people all shuffling about in disharmonic unity. As it looks like I'm running the loading bays today, I check out the state of them - an absolute shambles (the aforementioned mess, no trailers, half finished loads, no decent housekeeping basics). Although handovers should be of a consistent standard, this is rarely the case. I make a mental note to myself that there are two managers running the bays which is a luxury I seem to be rarely afforded. A few light hearted wind ups to the am shift managers later, I wish them a lovely day & go to goods out to do start up checks - manpower availability with goods out manager, trailer availability with shunters, trailer availability with transport (always a giggle as the omnipotent force which is Isotrack does not seem to be capable of telling us when the trailers we need are actually due back).

Then begins bay walk number 1.Each bay walk takes from 3 mins to 30 mins depending on problems, and I complete from 30 - 50 each day. This involves the following - arm with AMT & seals, and walk down bays addressing issues along the way - open trailers, seal trailers, remove pallets/cages/shrink wrap from trailers & bay, mount podium to make system changes to control work flow, request adjustments as shunters & drivers are not perfect in their trailer docking, resolve lost sales issues, resolve trunking issues, label pallets, resolve loader issues.

It's now 14:00 - oh yes, my day is only ABOUT to begin. Having discovered there are people who can't swipe in, someone replaces me on the bays, and I resolve WFC issues & wage queries for half an hour or so. Putting the manpower plan together for the next day, I'm then back down to the bays again. The day continues as above with a few curve balls along the way - trailers being unloaded & reloaded because transport didn't get their servicing program right, keeping the loaders busy as trailers are almost non existent, loaders having heated debates about who is the daddy, shift manager dropping unrealistic expectations in the pond & then watching as the ripples undulate a wave of frustration across the DC.

15:00 - manager meeting (who does what where & why).

16:00 - issue wage slips

16:15 - bay walks 7 -10.

16:45 - check for underperformers & deal with accordingly - 1 today

17:00 - receive load condition report (drivers fill in to highlight poor loading standards)-today's one is so petty it is ridiculous so I sign it off & return it to source.

17:30 - lunch - ambrosia in anybody's language except English

18:00 - remind shift manager he has options reviews to do & arrange for him.

18:15 - bay walks 11 - 17

19:00 - complete a staff review (all information previously collated).Some are futile & depressing, others are entertaining & rewarding if you can get some progress on the back of them. Today was a straightforward & pleasant affair with some gains.

19:30 - bay walks 18- 25 involving giving one loader a cuddle & reminding him that joy is to be found everywhere & the good ship lollipop will stick to those who let it.

20:15 - calculate what is necessary to make handover hunky dory (not the mess I walked into).

20:30 - bay walks 26 - 35

21:00 - make sure everyone knows exactly what they are going to be doing as the shift ends.

21:45 - fill in the forms, tidy up & check all paperwork.

21:50 - deflect friendly banter from night shift as they arrive with my wings of steel.

22:00 - walk out.

As I leave the DC in all its glory

I talk to a manger who unfurls his story

His backsides been kicked & he don't know why

He's been running round like a blue a*sed fly

Day to day he bangs his head

His veins pop & his face is red