Dock Worker/Forklift Operator

Birmingham, AL

Full time

R-2026-3509

At Old Dominion, we don't just move freight-we help businesses keep their promises. As one of the nation's leading LTL carriers, we've earned our reputation by putting people first, delivering premium service, and staying true to the values that have guided us for more than 90 years. Our PROMISES values shape how we work, our family culture shapes how we treat one another, and our commitment to being the Best in the Game drives everything we do. If you're looking for more than just a job, you'll find a career built on trust, teamwork, and opportunity at OD.

We are looking for a dedicated and detail-oriented individual to join the OD Family as a Dockworker. This role is vital to ensuring the safe, efficient loading and unloading of freight, as well as supporting overall warehouse and material handling operations. The ideal candidate will have a strong work ethic, a commitment to safety, and team driven. As a critical part of our team, you will help uphold our promise of delivering customer freight accurately and on time, contributing to the success of our OD Family culture.

Job Summary

The dockworker must efficiently load and unload freight, ensuring that the correct items are placed on the right trucks. Safety is paramount, and Dock Workers use equipment like forklifts and manual techniques to handle materials. Proper securing of freight with airbags and cardboard, as well as using straps, is crucial to prevent damage during transport. The dock worker position directly impacts the reliability of deliveries to customers.

Primary Responsibilities

• Load and unload freight on trailers using a motorized forklift, pallet jack or manually in compliance with state and federal DOT guidelines. Use various loading techniques, such as loading tight or cross loading.

• Transport self and/or freight continuously throughout the service center on non-forgiving surfaces.

• Utilize Dock Yard Management System to consistently monitor freight shipment locations throughout the service center.

• Read and interpret shipping labels. Familiarity with, and in some cases ability to complete the various forms utilized in freight movement such as shipping orders, city stripping manifests, freight bills, overage/damage movement reports and exception forms.

• Hand load, rewrap or stack freight as necessary.

• Insure the quality loading of all trailers.

• Secure freight inside trailers using appropriate tools and supplies (e.g. pallets, straps, rope).

• Frequent contact with service center personnel; fast-pace and deadline oriented.

• This is not an all-inclusive list of job responsibilities and duties. Employees are expected and must be able to perform all duties and tasks assigned.

Job Qualifications

Education:

• High school degree or equivalent

Experience:

• Must have working knowledge of safe and efficient lifting and transporting procedures.

• Must have working knowledge of procedures surrounding all aspects of freight transportation.

• Must have knowledge of different loading techniques such as loading tight and cross loading.

• Familiarity with, and in some cases ability, to complete the various forms utilized in freight movement such as shipping orders, city stripping manifests, freight bills, overage/damage movement reports and exception forms.

• Ability to utilize the dock yard management system permitting consistent monitoring of shipment locations as freight moves through the various terminals.

• Must be available for work at all times in order to meet customer pickup and delivery schedules.

• Must have the ability to properly operate hand held tablet when needed

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be able to read, write, and speak English.

• (Standing) Must be able to remain standing for a up to 8 Hours/shift, 5-7 days per week on non-forgiving surfaces such as concrete, wood, metal that are sometimes wet and slippery.

• (Sitting) Must be able to sit on a forklift up to 8 hours/shift 5 -7 days per week.

• (Moving/walking) Must be able to walk up to 8 hours a day on non- forgiving surfaces such as concrete, wood and metal and sometimes on wet and slippery surfaces.

• (Bending/Stooping/Kneeling) Must be able to perform frequent squatting to handle, position and secure freight.

• (Climbing) Must be able to get onto and off of the forklift many times throughout the day, must be able to climb about and move about easily in small spaces to adjust freight.

• (Moving Materials). Must be able to load and unload full trailers of freight weighing as much as 500 lbs., with or without a dolly or cart. This could involve for example moving 100lb containers to and from floor level to carts, stacks or platforms over 4 feet high, balancing 300 lb. drums on their rims and rolling them into positions, rolling and lifting tires, or stowing cartons or other merchandise overhead that weigh as much as 100 lbs. each.

• (Pushing/Pulling) Must be able to perform frequent pulling and pushing of freight with or without the help of freight pulling equipment up to 100lbs. Must also be able to push and pull forklift blades, forklift gas tanks, deck bars, and other freight related items.

• (Hearing/Speaking) Must be able to see parts in and on the forklift mechanical equipment for pre and post inspections. Must be able to hearing the horns of other forklifts and shouted instructions and warnings.

• (Reaching) Must be able to frequently reach for freight at waist level and occasionally reach for freight above shoulder height or below waist level. Must be able to reach for forklift controls, pushing deck bars, and placing/strapping airbags/straps/cardboard. Must be able to reach while sweeping work areas clean of debris.

• (Lifting) Must be able to frequently lift and handle objects weighing up to 100 lbs. of varying sizes or shapes, using OSHA guidelines and lifting techniques, distances of 1 foot but usually no less than 100 feet.

• Must be able to use right, left or both hands to get in and out of forklift, wrapping and unwrapping shrink wrap, securing and unsecuring pallets, using pallet jack or hand truck, using the steering wheel, buttons on lift gates, etc.

• Must be able to grip with right, left or both hands to use handles to get in and out of the forklift, holding tablet, using pallet jacks or hand trucks, controlling and pushing the buttons on the forklift, holding the steering wheel, securing straps, cardboard, airbags, etc.

• Must be able to pinch fingers on the right, left or both hands to shrink wrap, secure and unsecure straps, utilize clip boards, utilize tablets, etc.

• Must be able to use cognitive skills for:

• paying attention to surroundings, including cross-dock traffic, forklift inspections, freight, gates, etc.

• long-term and short-term memory for inspecting areas, breaking down pallets, carrying products, driving in cross-dock traffic and for safety

• logic and reasoning in reading manifests, tablets, reading boxes and order numbers

• Auditory and visual processing to inspect forklifts, driving, reading, listening for horns and/or other cross-dock traffic and speaking with other dock workers. Must be able to see and read bills of lading, tablets for yard management systems, and read printed materials. Must be able to see and scan areas of work for debris and defects.

• (Other) Must be able to work a variety of times and shifts in order to meet customer pick up and delivery schedules.

• Ability to work in extremely hot or cold climates, ability to work in an environment where noise and odors may be present.

• Attendance is a requirement

Work Environment

The work environment described below represents those that an employee would encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of the job.

While performing the duties of the job, the employees will be exposed to various work environments which may include working with or around others while loading and unloading, working in an enclosed vehicle while driving, loading and unloading in an enclosed trailer, exposure to all weather conditions, noise levels that vary from quiet to loud and with lighting conditions that could be extremely bright or low light.

This list of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be all inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties or responsibilities that management may deem necessary from time to time.

Working Days:

Shift and hours to be determined.

Working Shift:

Shift and hours to be determined.

Work days/shifts may change based on scheduling and business needs and are provided as guidelines at the time of posting.

Join the OD Family Today!As a Full Time member of our Family, you and your family are eligible to receive:

• Great Health Benefits including a Zero premium medical plan for employee only coverage

• Vision & Dental

• Short Term & Long Term Disability

• Flex Spending Accounts

• 401k Retirement plan with company match and additional company annual discretionary match opportunity

• Life Insurance

• Wellness Program

• Tuition Reimbursement for Drivers and Technicians

• Training and growth opportunities to build a career

• We prioritize our OD family of employees

• Ability to advance through our promote from within philosophy

• National Career Opportunities Available at our 260+ service centers

Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, and/or gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, military status, Vietnam Era and/or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law(s).

If you have questions regarding this posting or require assistance with the application process, please click here ( for contact information.

Welcome to Old Dominion. If you are looking for a new career with the best LTL (Less-than-Truckload) carrier in the industry you've come to the right place. Many companies tout their family atmosphere, but at OD it truly is a reality. We've grown from our humble beginnings of a single truck and one route in 1934 started by Earl and Lillian Congdon to a company of over 23,000 employees. At OD we strive daily to keep the family spirit alive and help the world keep promises.