Lessons I Learned at the Warehouse: 002

3. Organize your pallet but keep your pallet jack moving.

On my first week at the warehouse trainer, Bob would tell me over and over to keep my pallet jack moving. This took me over six months to learn. The pallet jack is a large piece of equipment to master. The jack has twin electric handles you twist to accelerate you and the product you're pulling. Bob would rotate the electric handle as I ran next to the jack (they can go eight mph) place boxes down. And, still, at the end of the aisle, I would have a mess of boxes on the pallet. We would waste time re-organizing the pallet to have it ship better, turn the aisle, and do the whole thing over again. Time wasted running alongside my pallet jack is used to re-organizing the cases.

Why did I have such a hard time learning this lesson?

First, you need to learn that all boxes are not created the same. A fist-size gravy box is a few ounces, as soda cans are fifteen pounds, flat, and as long as your forearm. You can have a fifty-pound bag of dog food and emergency food buckets; all of these products and more need a place on your one pallet order.

Another reason is quick planning is a difficult skill to master. Before picking the box up, you need a place for it on your pallet. A pallet is a black slab of plastic. The pallets' corners need heavier, more massive receptacles as the center can take the smaller, lighter boxes. This plan works to build a strong foundation for the rest of the order and build taller pallets that will ship across the state and out of state.

The next step is keeping your pallet jack moving as your picking the cases. If you keep thinking about what or how the next box could be, you're not moving along. A valid solution is to remember you pick it and place it and forget it. This will help to keep one hand on the electric handle and the other reaching for your next box.

What is the point? Maybe, there is a place in your life that is unorganized? Dishes piled up, the bathroom needs cleaning or yard work of chores. As life keeps moving along, little tasks blow up to real jobs. Maybe, instead of tackling these large jobs in one go, try breaking them down into little ones throughout your day. Then, you can follow up on those chores as your running along in life.

4. Stretches Before Work.

Good full-body stretch before work will help you be the beast you are and prevent injury or sore muscles for tomorrow. I have found that opening the neck and hip muscles can be a real benefit. The key to a good reach is the time you take on each body part. A quick breath in the pull, then slowly breath out as you push, august your muscles. This breathing technique helps the tissues get the oxygen they need. I have used a few yoga poses and yoga breathing exercises. Use your own methods of yoga or tie chi. This can only help you in the long run to your eight or ten-hour day.

Another thing, after first lunch or first break, put in a few different exercises. You are working for eight to ten hours, this is longer than the one to two hours you do at the gym. Stretching can improve digestion.

If you have pain in a muscle like in a joint that scratching can't help, see a chiropractor. The bone doctor is meant to help snap your back into place. Don't be scared to reach out to one, and some will give you discounts for deep tissue massages.

What is the point? Whatever way you start your day, put a good scratch in there. If you are practicing yoga or tie chi, good job. Keep it up. If not, no worries. No need to good to class find some fully-body scratches online, place them at the start of your day or after your first meal.