Crating & Rigging Technician

Crating & Rigging Technician

The Crating & Rigging Technician is responsible for preparing industrial equipment, machinery, and components for safe handling, storage, and shipment. This position performs crating, packaging, rigging, material handling, and loading activities while ensuring equipment is properly protected, secured, and handled in accordance with company safety and quality standards.

The position works closely with Warehouse, Manufacturing, Shipping, and other operations teams to ensure equipment is accurately prepared and safely moved throughout the facility and onto transportation vehicles.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Builds and prepares wooden crates, skids, pallets, and other shipping containers for industrial equipment and components.
• Measures equipment and materials to determine appropriate crate, pallet, blocking, bracing, and protective packaging requirements.
• Loads, secures, and prepares equipment for domestic and international shipment.
• Performs rigging activities to safely move, position, load, and unload heavy equipment and components.
• Selects and properly uses slings, chains, shackles, spreader bars, lifting devices, and other rigging equipment.
• Operates overhead cranes, forklifts, pallet jacks, and other material-handling equipment as authorized and trained.
• Inspects rigging equipment, lifting devices, crates, pallets, and related equipment before use and reports damaged or unsafe equipment.
• Uses hand tools and power tools to build crates, pallets, supports, blocking, and other shipping materials.
• Secures equipment using appropriate blocking, bracing, banding, strapping, chains, or other approved methods.
• Protects equipment from damage during handling and transportation by using appropriate wrapping, padding, moisture protection, and other packaging materials.
• Verifies equipment, components, quantities, and shipping documentation prior to shipment.
• Reads and interprets work instructions, drawings, measurements, shipping instructions, and equipment specifications.
• Assists with loading trailers and shipping containers while ensuring proper weight distribution and securement.
• Maintains a clean, organized, and safe work area.
• Follows all company safety procedures, including requirements for crane operation, rigging, forklift operation, PPE, and material handling.
• Communicates effectively with Warehouse, Shipping, Manufacturing, and other departments regarding equipment movement and shipment requirements.
• Completes required documentation and records related to crating, rigging, material movement, and shipping activities.
• Identifies potential safety, quality, or packaging concerns and communicates them to the appropriate supervisor.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent preferred.
• Previous experience in a warehouse, manufacturing, shipping, crating, rigging, construction, or material-handling environment preferred.
• Ability to safely lift, move, position, and secure heavy equipment and materials.
• Ability to use common hand tools and power tools.
• Ability to read basic measurements and use measuring tools such as a tape measure.
• Basic understanding of safe rigging and material-handling practices.
• Ability to follow written and verbal instructions.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• Ability to work safely around heavy machinery and moving equipment.
• Ability to obtain and maintain required forklift and/or crane certifications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous industrial crating or rigging experience.
• Experience operating overhead cranes and forklifts.
• Experience securing oversized or heavy industrial equipment for shipment.
• Experience reading mechanical drawings or equipment layouts.
• Knowledge of OSHA requirements related to rigging, lifting, cranes, forklifts, and material handling.
• Experience with international shipping or export packaging is a plus.
• Experience working with large industrial machinery or food-processing equipment is a plus.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.
• Ability to frequently bend, stoop, reach, climb, kneel, and work in various positions.
• Ability to lift and carry materials as required for the position.
• Ability to work around heavy equipment, forklifts, cranes, and other industrial machinery.
• Ability to wear required personal protective equipment.
• Ability to work in a warehouse/manufacturing environment where noise, dust, temperature variations, and other industrial conditions may be present.
• Must have sufficient vision, hearing, and physical ability to safely perform assigned duties.