forklift operator

group manager

operations supervisor

material handler

inventory associate

I will keep it very impersonal but explain my experience. Coming into this job it was meant to become my full time job in addition to a part-time I was carrying. They explained to me that the starting rate was $13.30 and would increase to $14 after 90 day probation at which you would be taught the forklift procedures along with that raise. I came in for the interview open and honest about my second job making them the priority and they assured me it would be no conflict as the position was Monday-Friday from 5am -1pm with no weekends so no interference with my other job. After making it sound amazing they took me on the tour with the “all you will be doing” speech. After agreeing to work here, the curtain was pulled back and I found out the truth on my very first day. I was told it would be a 4am start time immediately after I signed my paperwork and my first WEEK was 4am -4pm including the weekend and that has been the shift ever since. I have NEVER gotten out at 1pm.

 In the course of a 12 hour shift (where you would normally get two 15 min breaks and a  30min lunch) you get ONE 30min lunch break....THATS IT. If you’re lucky they will throw you a 10 MINUTE break at 1pm....when you’re supposed to be leaving for the day.....you get where I’m going with this?

They claimed they understood my having a second job and would work with me. In fact, they were doing the opposite! Even with not getting out at 1pm as promised I asked to be dismissed by the latest 2:30pm so that I could make it to my other job. They would let me go, and get me points towards my attendance for leaving before 4pm (when the position was SUPPOSED to end shift at 1pm) not only did they give me points for leaving after we weren’t supposed to be there but the weekend shifts came by word of mouth so if you missed the memo you got a point and a no call no show on your record. You would think management has everyone’s information on file and would call you in situations like that (as they have no posted schedules, you are told the day before whether you show up at 5am or if it randomly changes to 4am) but instead of calling you they leave you to figure it out. Needless to say, you will rack up your 8 point limit fairly quickly if you do anything besides come to work for them BUT They will keep you beyond this point limit....as long as it is busy and they can make use of you. As soon as it slows down they will try to walk you out the door due to “points” and if you don’t ask to review them you’ll be surprised as to how many trumped up incidents there are on your report.

Turn over is very high I’ve seen 3 full staff changes since starting in October but the few who have been there for years are all related and cover each others backs. Otherwise it’s every man for themselves.

The pay is weekly. That’s the upside. However all of the overtime is taxed with your check so you will not see any of it as taxes coincidentally end up being just about exactly what you’re overtime turned out to be leaving you with a paycheck for 40 hours of work....after a 60 hour work week.

Here’s a way to gauge if this is for you.
I am a single man with no dependents of my own, everything (overtime included) comes out in taxes. The more you work the more taxes they take. After a 60 hour work week, I being home.......$550 a week. Overtime? $240 taxes with said overtime? $235. Get the picture? 40 hours will pretty much get you $500 on average a week.
Basically you make $100 a day for every 12 hours you work.

I wouldn’t recommend this job to most people honestly but if you don’t mind long days and no compensation for the extra 20 hours YOU WILL WORK by all means.

But management does not have your best interest in mind and whatever information you should know but don’t management will not tell you!!! My advice would be y’all to your co workers and find out all youbare supposed to have.

You are supposed to order your steel toe shoes (which they will provide after your 90 days!!!) when you get hired and once you make your 90 days they are to provide those shoes to you.

You do have personal days to use to your discretion to keep from getting points but management will not put them in for you when you ask. They will only use them to bring you just beneath your point limit to make it seem as if they are on your side but REALLY by keeping you under the point limity they get to make more use of you before ultimately showing you the door.....for points.

Work here with the intention of saving up and moving on DO NOT GET COMFORTABLE.

Take it  from a guy who works 60 hours every week....have a blessed day!

This review aims to provide a formal assessment of DHL, highlighting its commendable aspects, including excellent compensation, a welcoming work environment that fosters professional growth, a comprehensive benefits package, and impressive employee retention rates. The observations presented in this review are based on my personal experiences, during which I witnessed the company's commitment to nurturing its workforce.

Outstanding Compensation:
DHL sets itself apart by offering exceptional compensation to its employees. The company recognizes the value of its workforce and ensures that employees are rewarded with competitive pay that aligns with industry standards. This generous compensation package not only serves as a testament to DHL's commitment to attracting top talent but also motivates and inspires employees to perform at their best.

Supportive Work Environment:
One of the remarkable features of DHL is its commitment to creating a welcoming work environment where individuals are encouraged to reach their full potential. The company fosters a culture of inclusivity, collaboration, and professional growth, providing employees with the necessary resources and support to excel in their roles. DHL's emphasis on teamwork and open communication enables employees to contribute ideas, ask questions, and engage in meaningful dialogue, leading to a more productive and fulfilling work experience.

Opportunities for Professional Growth:
DHL understands the importance of personal and professional development, and it actively encourages employees to climb the ladder of success. The company provides ample opportunities for advancement through internal promotions, mentorship programs, and ongoing training initiatives. This commitment to fostering the growth of its employees not only enhances their skills but also strengthens DHL's workforce, resulting in a win-win situation for both the individuals and the organization.

Comprehensive Benefits Package:
In addition to the competitive compensation, DHL offers a comprehensive benefits package that demonstrates its dedication to the well-being of its employees. The benefits encompass a wide range of areas, including healthcare coverage, retirement plans, paid time off, and other valuable perks. This comprehensive package not only contributes to the financial security and overall satisfaction of the workforce but also serves as a testament to DHL's commitment to employee welfare.

Impressive Employee Retention:
DHL boasts an impressive track record of employee retention, which is a testament to the company's positive work environment and commitment to employee satisfaction. By providing attractive compensation, fostering growth opportunities, and nurturing a supportive culture, DHL has been successful in creating a workplace where employees feel valued, respected, and motivated to stay long-term. This continuity in the workforce not only contributes to organizational stability but also fosters a sense of loyalty and dedication among employees.

In conclusion, DHL stands out as an exemplary company that excels in providing outstanding compensation, fostering a welcoming work environment that encourages professional growth, offering a comprehensive benefits package, and achieving impressive employee retention rates. The company's commitment to recognizing and rewarding the value of its employees is evident through its competitive compensation structure and dedication to personal and professional development. DHL's focus on creating a supportive and inclusive work culture, coupled with its comprehensive benefits package, ensures that employees are motivated, engaged, and committed to their roles. It is clear that DHL prioritizes its workforce, ultimately leading to a positive and thriving organizational environment.

I left my job because the recruiter promised me I would get training to be a forklift driver and I could move up in the company,  I just have to start at the bottom. She told us we would get two weeks of training in Springdale, MO (The 2nd group, which I was apart of, only got one week) they did pay for hotel, food, and travel expenses. In the training, we drive around, and practice with going into drive in racks and dealing with push racks. What they didn't prepared us for was going in and out of trailers properly, how to use the computers and scanners, nothing else. When we got to the site, we were pretty much thrown into work. My coworker that got hired the same day and did training with me was told she had to do production pull, by herself for the next two days. Something she never got training for. She wanted 1st shift and was told she would get it but they automatically put her on 2nd with rotation. When she asked to be moved to first they said no that she had to stay until a position would open up and would not work with her, so she quit. We asked to get more training there weren't enough lifts so we had to just stand around, watch, and asked a lot of questions. When I was doing that, the manager said I couldn't follow one of the drivers because it was a safty hazard so I had to stand by the trucks, watch, and ask questions. So when I asked questions about the computer, the manager said I was distracting the driver and taking up too much time and to just stay out of the way or air up the air bags for the drivers on lifts so they wouldn't have to get off and take more time away from the trucks. When I did get on a lift, it wasn't for very long and kept getting in the way or run into because I was still trying to get use to it. Finally, I switched from 1st to 2nd because I was told I would have more time to train, more lifts, and a calmer setting.  I finally got training but didn't spend a lot of time on lifts because they would use workers that were faster and I would be sent home instead of getting more practice and training. I was at the plant for two weeks and they let me go because I was too slow. They wanted trucks loaded in under 2 hours,  I took about 4. My supervisor told me that I was really safe, had great techniques, didn't drop anything, computer work was great, but I took too long so they let me go. They preach safty and precision, not wanting products to get ruined but they pushed for speed and number of trucks they could get out in one shift. I was told they are graded on two things, quality of products and how many trucks they get done. They promise all these great things then after a couple of weeks of training, they give you the boot. I wasn't the only one let go, people who have been doing this for years were let go because they aren't fast enough or they are but they keep dropping and wrecking stuff. I do NOT recommend working for this company, at least not here. The job was enjoyable when there were enough lifts, when the lifts were all working, when the computers weren't offline or would go out in the middle of a run, or when the load plans made sense. That's one of the biggest things, a lot of the load plans didn't come out right that were sent to us. Stack some doubles, a few singles, then put a double stack in front of the singles. Even I know, a novice, know that's a bad idea. Told us to pyramid half way through, which takes away space and extra time. I'm sure DHL is a great company but when getting pressure from THEIR employers to worry more about numbers and speed than safty and precision,  there's something wrong. I was on 8 hour shifts so we only had two 20 minute breaks and to use one for lunch. We couldn't bring food through the factory so we had to walk all the way to the front to the cafeteria to eat (which took half the break since we were at the tail end of the place) or use the break room closer to the warehouse and eat out of vending machines.  So beware, don't fall for the recruiters promises unless you are extremely fast, than they might keep you for a while.

A typical day at work is constant movement, picking cases as fast as you can while screaming a count back to an extremely faulty tablet that may or may not restart itself/ suddenly refuse to hear you or let you scan the inventory that you're supposed to pick. Supposedly "the system" generates your picks/ orders and you are then subject to whatever the machine gives you as far as good/ bad picks... you could be working as hard as you possibly can and still get hit with low numbered picks and or ridiculously heavy cases to pick while watching your peers zip thru with light cases into the hundreds that they also got pulled for them... you WILL question your worth overall repeatedly and will struggle to accept the inequality that goes on there daily. They present themselves as a diversity inclusive fantastic employer and the reality is they are extremely judgemental, don't actually train you to do the job they want you to do, and then penalize you for not being in the top 3 pickers/in the green 24/7 whether it's your fault or not.. for example.. having inventory and system issues that are not within your control at all...still chips away at YOUR personal pick time. They play favorites hard and have a ridiculous excuse for "supervisors" and "team leads" as it stands. They will and do overlook anger management issues from their team leads, lack of accountability from supervisors, and micromanage their new employees. They're "so understanding" on the surface and then hit you with back to back write ups over trivial things with no warning. They will wait until near the end of your shift to give you a write up from months before with little to no explanation. The rules change day to day, they force you into mandatory overtime with little to no warning, refuse to work with you despite their "flexible" schedule.. make it sound like they're "like a family" and then pit you against your coworkers to compete for faster pick times etc. Management is on a power trip and ends up being why no one wants to stay as they are exhausted, confused on most things, and over worked regularly with little to no guidance. It's a near constant feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop, being talked down to by your "team lead" that gets away with m*rder basically, and dreading clocking in every day because you're never good enough no matter what you do. 
I learned if it sounds too good to be true then it likely really is and that's disappointing when I initially was really excited about this job. The workplace culture is fake smiles and constantly pushing yourself while acting like you're happy about it no matter what. It's very buddy buddy and if you get on someone's bad side you're pretty much sealing your fate. The hardest part of the job is realizing they don't care about you at all, won't stop someone from harassing or verbally abusing you, and will make you out to be a problem unless you suck up and run yourself into the ground. The most enjoyable part of the job was when you get to clock out at the end of the day, the couple coworkers you'll have that are in fact great people, and the false sense of security they instill in you... until reality hits. On occasion they would feed us but it almost always came with sudden mandatory overtime or some other let down.. oh and sometimes you got to leave early because there would be periods of not enough work.. that was always a welcome relief. 

I started as a frontline customer service representative and my first supervisor was amazing. He really motivated me to be better and to make the effort to get promoted. I ended up skipping 2 other departments and got into Key Accounts. My supervisor there was absolutely amazing and we're still friends today. She eventually moved on within the company and that's when everything went downhill. Management/Sups dropped like flies or quickly moved to other departments. They started hiring people from the Sales side of DHL and they have zero, literally zero experience on the CS side of the DHL business. They don't even know our tools or what we actually do on a daily basis. This led to micromanagement and everything became about "numbers". Every single person in that department that is a Key Account Executive will tell you that numbers is the last thing we're thinking about. We have 800 things to do to keep our customers happy and it is never enough for management. When I left over half that department is new people and more tenured people were putting in their two weeks. KAD (Key Accounts Department) used to be a coveted role and was very hard to get into because people liked their job and management at one point did have their head on straight. Now they offer new hires the role with zero experience and it's sink or swim at that point for them. They also moved half of all their CS team to Costa Rica and continue to move advancement opportunities to Costa Rica so upward potential is virtually gone. 

To give a better idea of what management was like there here's a personal story: I was in PD with my team and my Sup was explaining a new campaign for us to earn a bit of cash and to get the departments trace closure up. I had been struggling with trace closure the majority of my time in that dept due to a specific customer and I had been voicing that concern for years with no one taking any interest or action. My sup asked if anyone had questions or concerns and I said "I do, to a point I feel this is kind of rigged because I can't hit those numbers you want and you know this so I have no idea how I'm going to even be able to compete in this." I was then told "Ok well it's not and we should take this offline" A couple DAYS go by and I hear nothing until I get pulled into a meeting room with my sup & manager. My sup wrote me up because I used the word "rigged" and that it has a negative connotation and in a team setting it undermined his positive approach he was taking. I was absolutely caught off guard by this. Something that was supposed to be taken "offline" and wasn't, turned into me getting written up for a word I used. This happened several more times where my sup thought I was trying to purposefully undermine him and he continued to write me up anytime I said something he deemed was "rude or unprofessional".  At no point was I ever written up about my work performance I even earned an award within DHL for outstanding customer service. If this is the type of setting you would thrive in then by all means apply for DHL.

With the above being said the work itself was rewarding and I went above and beyond for every one of my customers within reason.

During my time at DHL, communication was always a weak point. In fact, it was practically non-existent in my location. Departments would not talk to one another, management was beyond poor, and there was no real support for the basic employee.

Management would try to do fun things to boost morale, such as parties, Fiesta Fridays, or various events. Unfortunately, the other days where nothing "fun" was going on proved the exact reason these events were taking place. Morale was incredibly low, no one felt like they could really move up in the company in a realistic sense, nor in some cases could they even move laterally. Export was particularly bogged down in constantly increasing work expectations. 

In DHL, it's all about the numbers - corporate doesn't care about the little guy, or all the things the Export team has to work through. Their only concern was with the number of shipments processed in a day. Never mind the fact that Export was also in charge of all customer service related calls, directing clients to proper departments, booking pick-ups for shipments and scheduling times for those shipments to return back to our warehouse, dispatching and contacting trucking companies (on outdated equipment, which just adds to the time crunch), answering client/customer service emails, and not really being allowed to start processing shipments until 2pm at the earliest... If you did not process enough shipments in the afternoon hours (around or sometimes after 2pm to 5pm) before trucks closed, you were considered nonproductive. All this was in spite of the fact that customer service calls, email inquiries, and pick-up schedules continued to pour through into those hours, which ultimately limited the amount of time for processing. This is precisely why no one really wants to work on the Export side - everyone wants to transfer out, or they leave the company because it's too much to deal with.

When management was confronted with these issues from various staff members, they were mostly shrugged off. Management explained that they have a type of council where lower level employees could gather and develop action plans that would let management know how things were going. Upon speaking to the leaders of this council, most were either yet again shrugged off, or they were told that the council was just a formality and there was not actually much they could do to change things. Most people were told to keep their head down, crunch through the work, and hope they might be able to transfer out into a different department.

There is a reason Export's team has such a high turnover. They can't keep people. The job is incredibly stressful, the managers do not sympathize or even assist, many people working from other stations practically harass you through email for certain information (often about things that, if you've never worked in the industry before, you do not understand), phones often ring so much that you cannot get anything done, and what training they provide is laughable. Not to mention, on top of all of this, the workload and expectations for processing a large number of shipments is, frankly, ridiculous.

I had the opportunity to start working here during the first year when this warehouse opened in 2018. In the beginning, this place had a bright future for success. It was something new and exciting for everyone there. It has had its growing pains over the years as it went from a blank canvas to a structured evironment with purpose and goals, but still needs improvement.

As a Material Handler in the Outbound department, a typical day would start out with a group meeting and stretch to discuss safety, quality, the previous day's accomplishments/failures, and information on the current day's goals for the shift. After the meeting, you will checkout an RF scanner and then make your way on the floor to the Outbound department. There will be several stations that you can be assigned to. At these stations, you will be performing the tasks of scanning parts, verifying quantity, making labels, and then placing them into the shipment that they belong. Another station involves packing different shipments into an appropriate box/container. And, at one other station, you can be shipping the shipments that have been packed and completed.

My assessment of the work environment here: This is one of the easiest warehouse jobs you can come across. It takes time to learn the tasks at hand and the warehouse management system, but it is worth it. Minimal heavy lifting (50lbs or less). The wages in the early years of this warehouse was low considering the other companies in the surrounding areas, but after management did a study of pay rates within its vicinity; they've raise it to where I find it fair for the work you do there. Opportunities to advance from a regular associate into management positions is dependent on how far you want to grow with this company.

Issues: This warehouse has struggled with quality and production goals. Both topics go hand in hand with one another. These issues stem from lower management whom are willing to use associates to compromise work instructions/processes to meet daily production goals. Improperly trained associates also contribute to these problems. Cutting corners and skipping processes that were put in place by upper management in order to meet productions goals has given a false number of what the building can do. Quality also worsens when this is done. Now when the exact opposite happens where work instructions/processes are followed, the production goals cannot be met, but quality is better. Upper management has the tools to go over everything with a fine tooth comb to figure out what's wrong, it's just a matter of when. There are those who came into the building within the last year in management and have made a positive impact. I hope they continue their work on improvement. I've been around warehousing/supply chains/logistics for over a decade. When a site does not meet the performance expectations of a company, it has the probability of being sold, rebranded, or a full closure.

The building is highly unorganized, and has very little planning ahead. Anything plans are changed and the work predictions are false. The work balance is completely off, it is either super light or super busy. 90% of the time you'll sweep the floors or or get sent home. There is not enough work for more than one shift to be in. The first two shifts are offered VTO for the time the next shift takes over. And all temps are sent home early to save money.

The building management also plays favorites and prefers you don't think freely. Most people will rat you out for being negative for a Klondike bar. Management will not go through write ups or terminations with you properly. Nor will they give you specifics on the situations. Word of advice record any office meeting they call you in for. 

They don't follow proper procedures, complaints about the building should be listened to and not used against employees to terminate them. Family members, people living together and people in relationships should NOT be on the same shift or overlapping shifts while having two different positions of power. Bias judgement will be made and it can make things complicated on the floor. Each shift has a team lead or supervisor with a family member or partner working underneath them. Employees are fired just for thinking negatively, and when they express these concerns the HR shrug it off, several people were known to be terminated within the past 3 weeks over them expressing their concerns. The company prefers to silence you rather than work with you.

It has a HUGE language barrier, the temp agency that hires employees are ran by Spanish speakers and hire mainly Spanish speaking applicants. Now the diversity is nice, but the lack of communication makes it hard to get specific things done correctly. That includes cross training to help lessen the load for the 5/20 people doing everyone's job. The Spanish speaking management of course favor these employees and let them get away with a lot of nonsense.

Employees who have no equipment certification are allowed to use the MHE (Forklifts) if loosely trained by another loosely trained employee. This can cause safety issues on the floor, and causes many concerns for those who notice these flaws in the building. In the past month they lost 4 forklift drivers and they are limited as is, the current drivers have no decent training or certification.

This DHL facility is more like a spot you can hang out at, form cliques, cause issues for hard working employees, rather than actually doing the job when needed. Several members of management have left the building for better opportunity even if it is just a normal position at a different building, knowing the events that happen within this facility.

Overall a horrible place to work and should not be opened until they fix their management team inside the building. Most employees are temps, they have very little full time employees. Training is lose and done by employees who "know what they're doing". Would not recommend as a place to work.

the job has multiple shift and mostly all around hours using the 10 hour days mostly, however their production standards are consistently unsustainable. I was hired around the time of covid, many policies where put on pause, this pause allowed me and most other employees to work and have job security without danger of being terminated for the company's lofty production demands.

for a company that has mottos of transparency and accountability, its always orders from above never the management's fault. from my perspective some areas of the company are in the process of being striped, less product, less work, quietly cutting down the number of staff, inconsistent shifts from high overtime volume to sending people home because its to caught up. rumors of getting rid of another shift, its become extremely toxic as they are now reenforcing these toxic pre covid policy's.

the job itself is not hard just drive the forklift go from point A to point B, follow the computer screen information. well its supposed to be, the company claims they don't count ever minute of potential lost productivity, however they system counts every second, actions must be taken in high levels of speed and precision, to meet the excessive rate required and rate enforced "bonus pay" that's assuming the warehouse management computer system doesn't have a hiccup or get confused. it is posable to accidently get locked out of tasks or to cause system glitches that make the system deny normal task actions, management may choose not to give you the time for these hiccups or issues. it should also be know that management has openly stated on multiple accounts that they do not know how to use the internal warehouse computer system and only rely on employee, tasker, leads and supervisor for its functions. the tasker, lead and supervisor system differs extremely from the floor system in design and usability. all systems require the internet without it the system does not work, no work can be completed

they do have a "decent" training period for learning how to use the forklift the first 90 days to 6 months can be relatively easy and give a good amount of experience on a forklift, however they may not train you on all aspects of the job as they now/ once again require qualified rate at base 0 in a function in order to learn a new function, this may mean you don't learn all required job elements for in excess of a year, often times the office may need to be "poked and prodded" to get you observed and certified.

the best part is if you can handle 12 hour days, and there is no overtime call, then you get a 4 day weekend. if you do the 10 hour days then its still a 3 day weekend. on the other hand they will often have opportunities for voluntary overtime they may chose to cancel it at any time be it before your over time shift or at any point during. they do usually ask if you want to leave though.

A meeting with your department about numbers and safety almost every day that isn't always consistent which can take place at the beginning of shift or after your first break just to make it easier for leads/supervisors can keep track of attendance and reporting back to work on time. Sometimes none at all if they're unprepared or don't care. Upper management aren't often on the same page which causes problems for other shifts and agents doing different things. There's also minor battles for finding working equipment (scanners, tugs, forklifts and containers).

I learned to unload, reload, push-off, organize and build-up cargo from different departments in the warehouse. A little bit of driving tugs, forklifts, and loading/unloading containers/cargo on/off planes/trucks. Learning the functions of the cargo scanner can be overwhelming from the beginning. There's a lot to learn but it all depends on the right place and right time. Get along with people, you'll have an easier time getting your hands dirty to learn more. However, the expectation of randomly throwing new incompetent agents expecting for other regular agents to teach/train them began a bad cycle of bad employees teaching bad habits.

Despite all the training protocol videos, the environment can be full of young high school drama or mentally immature high seniority veterans if caught in between the wrong crowd. Quid pro quo and harassment can be low-key but it still happens here so it's always good to be cautious of who you interact with both regular agents or upper management.

Just like any other workplace, micro managing from upper management or leads can be the most difficult part of the job. You can complain about them if you like but it can become stressful when the job ends up being a low-key fight between throwing each other under the bus or pointing fingers. Try to stay out of the spotlight and do the job you're told to do the safest way possible.

I emphasize safest way possible due to the possibility of ending up in a department or position that requires higher than average manual labor. You may request to be put in a different area but as said before, right place and the right time. Depends on who you end up getting along with based on your work ethic, how much respect you show them, playing favorites or just straight up nepotism.

There are good and bad things working under a union and my first experience with this one left me with learning that you still have to put in your own effort to know all about it while not being able to rely much on your main union representatives. It was because of the union contract and our main union rep that caused me to stop caring about the job. I knew the risk and paid the consequences for it. The job is simple. It's the people you work with who can make or break your experience at the job.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Forklift operator 4685 salaries reported	$19.94 per hour
Group manager 907 salaries reported	$21.01 per hour
Operations supervisor 1342 salaries reported	$72,359 per year
Material handler 630 salaries reported	$21.51 per hour
Inventory associate 509 salaries reported	$20.52 per hour

Working at DHL: Company Overview and Reviews

DHL

DHL Ratings

Popular jobs at DHL

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected