How to Become a Parcel Sorter

A Parcel Sorter will typically wear casual clothes consisting of comfortable clothing like jeans, t-shirs and closed-toe shoes, or a company-provided uniform, and safety vest.

A Parcel Sorter is responsible for scanning, sorting and distributing parcels using their excellent time management and organisational skills to make sure parcels are sent to the correct place for distribution.

Develop your attention to detail, physical stamina, and organisational skills. Make sure you read addresses accurately and keep a steady speed when organising parcels on a conveyor belt to make sure they will be delivered to the correct addresses.

Build up your physical stamina to cope with long shifts that require standing, walking and lifting.

It is important for a Parcel Sorter to be physically fit as they will spend most of their time on their feet while sorting parcels. It’s also important to have good time management skills to meet productivity quotas.

A Parcel Sorter should be somewhat physically fit, as the job will require a lot of walking and lifting. A Parcel Sorter will often have to carry large objects and will therefore needs good lower back strength and lifting posture.

Shift hours can be long, and Parcel Sorters will often be on their feet for extended periods of time, it is important to have good stamina for moving parcels to and from delivery trucks, into storage spaces within a warehouse, or into parcel trolleys to be taken to delivery vehicles.

A Parcel Sorter should be able to work quickly while staying organized and focused on their task. It is essential that the parcels are sent to the correct delivery route, as sorting items incorrectly will cause issues for other staff and for the customer, who will either receive their parcel late or, if they are given the wrong parcel, will have to return it. 

Identify and prioritize urgent or time-sensitive parcels when necessary, and while sorting items on a conveyor belt, maintain a consistent pace to avoid any backlog or delays. 

It is part of a Parcel Sorter’s duties to scan and label packages for tracking when necessary. They also ensure that parcel distribution is accurate and sort parcels into the correct delivery route.

Sorting parcels by delivery route is essential for speeding up delivery times, as knowing where to place the parcel depending on when it will be delivered on the delivery driver’s route increases productivity for everyone involved in the delivery process.

Parcel sorting this way can also increase customer satisfaction, as they will receive their parcel in a timely manner, and delivery drivers won’t need to sort through all their parcels to find the correct one.

It is part of the Parcel Sorter’s job to add a barcode, or QR code to the packages, to accurately track the location and destination of the parcel throughout the delivery process.

This is useful for automated sorting, which will use the barcode data to determine the destination of the package and send it to the appropriate conveyor belt for sorting. Completing this step takes focus and accuracy to attach the barcode or QR code correctly. It will also speed up productivity.

Accuracy and efficiency are important skills for a Parcel Sorter, as parcels must be distributed correctly. Verifying addresses, carefully scanning barcodes and ensuring each parcel is directed to the correct delivery area are all essential Parcel Sorter duties.

Be precise when scanning and sorting and maintain a consistent sorting speed that will ensure accuracy. It is important to reduce errors where possible, as any mishaps are less cost efficient and will slow down delivery times.