Warehouse operatives, pickers, forklift drivers, goods-in staff and anyone in logistics or a distribution centre.
In the warehouse
What the shift supervisor, the goods-in desk and the voice in your headset say all day. Listen, read what it means, hear it in a sentence, then try the quick check.
52 words and phrases10 sentence check20 minutes, aboutFree no sign-up
1 Play the word, then the sentence2 Read what it means3 Say it back out loud4 Do the check at the end
52 words and phrases
What you will hear
Tap the play button on any card. The word first, then how it sounds in a sentence.
- 1
the shift
Your working hours. Earlies, lates and nights.
You are on earlies this week, six to two.
- 2
earlies, lates and nights
The three shifts in a 24 hour warehouse.
Lates start at two, nights at ten.
- 3
clock in
Record your start time on the machine or app.
Clock in before you go to the floor or you will not be paid.
- 4
the floor
The main warehouse area.
The supervisor is out on the floor, by the dock.
- 5
goods in
Where deliveries arrive and are checked.
Three trailers on goods in this morning, all pallets.
- 6
goods out
Where orders leave. Also dispatch.
Get those cages down to goods out before the four o'clock truck.
- 7
the dock
The loading bay where trucks back up to the building.
Trailer on dock six, start unloading.
- 8
the dock leveller
The metal plate that bridges the gap between the dock and the trailer.
Drop the dock leveller before you drive in.
- 9
the bay
A numbered loading door, or a numbered slot in the racking.
Put it in bay 14, second level.
- 10
racking
The tall metal shelves pallets sit on.
Do not climb the racking, get the order picker.
- 11
a location
The exact place in the warehouse a product lives, with a code.
Scan the location before you scan the product.
- 12
the aisle
The walkway between two rows of racking.
Aisle 12 is closed, there is a spill.
- 13
picking
Collecting the items for an order.
You are picking today, pick to the blue totes.
- 14
a pick list
The list of items to collect for an order.
Print your pick list at the desk and work it top to bottom.
- 15
the scanner
The handheld device that reads barcodes. Also the RF gun.
Your scanner is on charge at the desk, log in with your number.
- 16
voice picking
Picking with a headset that tells you where to go and what to take.
Voice picking says the check digits, read them back.
- 17
check digits
The numbers on a location you read back to prove you are in the right place.
Check digits four seven. Read it back.
- 18
SKU
One product line. Said "skew".
Every SKU has its own location, do not mix them.
- 19
a tote
A plastic crate for picked items.
Full totes go on the conveyor, empty ones under the bench.
- 20
the conveyor
The moving belt that carries totes and boxes.
If the conveyor jams, hit the stop and call the engineer.
- 21
a cage
A wheeled metal cage for moving stock. Also a roll cage.
Stack the cages no higher than the top rail.
- 22
a pallet
The wooden or plastic base goods are stacked on.
Broken pallets go in the pallet skip, not back in the racking.
- 23
wrap it
Put stretch film round a pallet so nothing falls.
Wrap it tight, three turns at the bottom.
- 24
the wrapper
The machine that wraps pallets.
The wrapper is down, do it by hand.
- 25
the forklift
The counterbalance truck. You need a licence.
You cannot drive the forklift until your training is signed off.
- 26
the reach truck
The narrow forklift for high racking.
Take the reach truck for anything above level two.
- 27
the PPT
The powered pallet truck. Said as three letters.
Use the PPT for the heavy pallets, not the hand pump.
- 28
the hand pump
The manual pallet truck.
The hand pump is behind the desk, bring it back when you are done.
- 29
the LLOP
The low level order picker. Said "lop".
Charge the LLOP at the end of the shift.
- 30
the charging bay
Where the trucks are plugged in.
Park it in the charging bay and plug it in, every time.
- 31
pre-use check
The check of the forklift before you drive it.
Do the pre-use check and sign the sheet, horn, brakes, forks.
- 32
the walkway
The painted path for people. Trucks stay out, people stay in.
Stay inside the walkway, the reach trucks cannot see you.
- 33
the barrier
The metal rail that protects people and racking from trucks.
Someone hit the barrier on aisle three, report it.
- 34
FIFO
First in, first out: the oldest stock goes out first. Said "fife-oh".
It is FIFO on the chilled, check the dates.
- 35
best before
The date on food after which it should not be sold.
Anything past best before goes to the returns cage.
- 36
stock take
Counting everything in the warehouse.
Stock take is Sunday, everyone is in.
- 37
a discrepancy
When the count does not match the system.
There is a discrepancy on location B14, recount it.
- 38
short
Fewer items than expected.
The delivery is two cases short, note it on the docket.
- 39
the docket
The delivery note that lists what was sent.
Sign the docket only after you have counted the pallets.
- 40
damages
Goods that arrived broken.
Put the damages to one side and take a photo.
- 41
returns
Goods coming back from customers.
Returns are processed at the bench by the office.
- 42
put away
Moving received stock into its location.
Put away the morning deliveries before you start picking.
- 43
replen
Replenishment: moving stock from high racking down to the pick face.
Do a replen on the pick face, the water is empty.
- 44
the pick face
The low level where pickers take from.
Keep the pick face full and the labels facing out.
- 45
the cold store
The freezer area. Jackets and time limits.
Twenty minutes maximum in the cold store, then out to warm up.
- 46
chilled
The fridge area, two to five degrees.
Chilled has to be back in the fridge within thirty minutes.
- 47
the KPI
Your target: picks per hour, accuracy.
The KPI is 120 picks an hour, you are at 95.
- 48
the system
The warehouse software. Also the WMS.
If the system is slow, keep scanning, it will catch up.
- 49
a spill
Something leaked on the floor. Cone it, clean it, report it.
There is a spill in aisle nine, cone it off.
- 50
the fire assembly point
Where everyone goes when the alarm sounds.
The fire assembly point is the car park by the gate, not the canteen.
- 51
the agency
The company that supplies temporary workers.
The agency sent four extra for the weekend.
- 52
the break
Your rest time. Usually fixed and short.
Break is at nine for fifteen minutes, be back on the floor on time.
Quick check
10 sentences. What did they mean?
Play each one and pick the answer. You can replay as often as you like. Your score shows at the end, and you can keep it against your name if you want to.
What next
Ready to work, not just to practise?
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