Unloading 40ft containers - hired help?

[Sundowner]

Hi, I have a warehouse that receives about 10 40ft containers a year. I'm a one-man ltd company and I get help from my dad, brothers, friends and a very kind landlord when it comes to physically unloading the containers. The friendly company next door evens helps me get started on his Fork Lift. The container has 200 * 30kg boxes of flat pack furniture. Each container takes two hours to unload and if I do pay people I give £20 cash per man.

The trouble is I may have to move the warehouse across the country to Sheffield and will miss out on this great support.

How can I get a crew of 5 men together 10 times a year in a city where I only know a few people!

Do any of you use temp agencies for this? Can I chance it that my neighbours on the industrial park could help?

Any thoughts would be great.

Regards, Rob.

 

[Bradley Holmes]

Temp agencies will be the way to go for sure.
I actually did container unloading in Australia for a little while while I was between jobs.
I´d get a call from the agency in the morning telling me to go to x warehouse and work until the container was unloaded.

Wasn´t the worst job I ever had either.

 

[Dan Angell-Collins]

We use temps when we have containers in. It gives us a flexible workforce and they've always done a great job.

 

[Scott@KarmaContent]

Yes, temp agencies every time. Make sure you go to one that specialises in industrial temps. Lots of agencies will say they can do it, but not all will have the large pool of candidates to call on if they get people dropping out last minute.

 

[paulears]

If you're happy with the notion of cash in hand, then Facebook is your friend. I work in theatre and from time to time we unexpectedly get a full size trailer on it's way when we expected a transit! I'm an ex-college lecturer and Facebook can get me people very quickly - as loads of ex-students are my friends. As for P60s, tax, NI, NI numbers and minimum wage, that's up to you.

 

[GraemeL]

This will sound dreadfully boring, but be aware that as the 'employer' you are responsible for undertaking risk assessment of the operation, which will will inevitably conclude that the individuals who offload must have been adequately trained to lift and carry. And you must have evidence of this.
If you have an accident, or a claim is made against you because of an injury, you will have to defend yourself.

Paying cash in hand simply makes the matter very much worse.

 

[Zumiweb]

I'd echo GrameL above - it's fine when it's friends and their friends, but if you're starting afresh, you might get light-fingered helpers, you might get busted by benefit fraud officers and HSE, all sorts of insurance risks, so safer through agency (with full info and their confirmation that they understand the job).

Alternatively, you could try contacting a nearby medium size local removals firm, as they may well have a pool of able-bodied zero hours labour, trained to lift and carry, insured too if it's done through the books, that could be wheeled out at shortish notice for ad hoc jobs.

 

[Mitch3473]

Temp agencies are the way forward. I've lost count on the amount of 40 footers I've unloaded with agency guys. We used to do 3 a day with a team of 4. Granted we had a stacker and a conveyor belt

 

[Long John]

Having done a little container work in the past.
My experience is 90%+ of containers are all hand balled and not palletized.
And take anywhere of upwards from 2hrs to unload with 3+men.
I don't know much about the accounts side but I do know some of the shipping companies charge the sender for weighting times, should the driver be there for longer then 3hrs.

Having worked for employment agencies in the past, but having no idea on there billing and accounts system.
I do know that 95%+ of them will pay the employee A minimum of 8hrs per shift.
Meaning that they will charge the customer a minimum of 8hrs per day per man.
Otherwise they would be out of pocket.

The OP said he receives about 10 40ft containers a year.
Not 10 containers a week!
So when a container arrives once every say month; are the above posters surgesting he hire a crew of 5 men for the day for 2hrs work?

As for facebook
Do you want people who are reliable who you have met in person or just someone who says 'I can do behind a keyboard' and then move onto the next dream day tripper!

Sorry But I don't think any of the above advice is any good!
And I don't rely have any advice to offer the OP.
Apart from who he knows in the area.
Speak to neighbours who may be small businesses like him self and can work together as a labour of love.
When they need something doing; you help them out

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

Good morning Rob I have just sent you a PM for a possible crew up the road from you
Sounds like too much work for me !!!