Warehouse & distribution SOP templates
Receiving, picking, shipping, forklifts, and inventory accuracy. 6 ready-made role templates and 28 hand-written rules — check what applies to your company and PayTree assembles the SOP instantly.
Role templates included
Warehouse Picker / Order Selector
Covers how this role picks customer orders accurately and safely, keeping the pick faces clean and stock rotated.
Receiving Clerk
Covers how this role checks in every inbound delivery, catches damage and shortages at the door, and gets stock put away the same day.
Forklift Operator
Covers how this role moves product safely and efficiently — the truck inspection, pedestrian rules, and load limits are the job.
Shipping Lead
Covers how this role gets every order out complete, on the right truck, with the right paperwork, before cutoff.
Inventory Control Clerk
Covers how this role keeps the system and the shelves telling the same story through cycle counts and disciplined adjustments.
Warehouse Lead / Manager
Covers how this role runs the floor: safety first, then service, then cost — and owns the daily open/close routine.
A sample of the rules inside
Every rule is a single, concrete instruction someone can follow on day one — written by people who know how this work actually goes wrong.
Receiving
- Match every delivery against its PO or packing slip before signing — count cartons and check for visible damage while the driver is still there.
- Refuse or note damaged freight on the delivery receipt and photograph it before the driver leaves; a clean signature waives the claim.
- Count received goods piece-by-piece (or by verified case count) and record the actual quantity, not the expected one.
- Label received pallets with item, quantity, and date before they leave the receiving dock.
+ 2 more rules in this section
Picking & packing
- Pick by location AND item code — matching the picture or the box color is how mispicks happen.
- Scan (or double-check) every line at pick time, not from memory at the packing bench.
- Pick oldest stock first (FIFO); check date codes where products carry them.
- If a location is empty or short, report it immediately — don't substitute an item without approval.
+ 2 more rules in this section
Shipping & loading
- Stage orders by carrier and route; nothing ships without a final piece-count against the order.
- Load heaviest pallets first and strap or brace anything that could shift in transit.
- Bill of lading: verify piece count, weight, and destination before the driver signs; keep our signed copy.
- Know the carrier cutoff times; escalate at least an hour before a cutoff you're going to miss, not after.
From checkboxes to a document on the wall
- Pick a role — its sensible defaults come pre-checked
- Add your company's own rules anywhere
- Instant, structured SOP: purpose, procedure, safety, policies, escalation
- One-click branded PDF; optional AI polish that keeps every rule you chose
Templates are starting points, not legal or compliance advice — review them against your local rules before relying on them.
The rules builder is free and unlimited on every PayTree plan — including the 14-day trial.
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