Yard Leading Hand

YARD LEADING HAND

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A ship planner plans and coordinates the loading and unloading each container ship in port. Click Here

Yard Leading Hand

A yard leading hand leads a team who ensure the safe and efficient handling of local and imported new vehicles Click Here

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QUICK LINKS

A yard leading hand is a team leader. At a motor vehicle processing depot the leading hand is responsible for a team of people who ensure the safe and efficient handling of local and imported new vehicles.

What does a yard leading hand do?

Are you an organiser and team player who prefers outdoor work?

Would you enjoy working with new vehicles in a role that has a future?

New vehicles pass through a number of stages before leaving the port to go to dealerships. A yard leading hand working at a port leads a team that can vary on average from seven to fifteen people, and organises the completion of tasks related to the handling and care of these vehicles while they are at the port. These tasks include:

labelling each car with ID and a barcode as soon as they are collected from the wharf so they can be traced and scanned during each stage of preparation
arranging for vehicles to be brought to the workshop to be fitted with extras ordered by the dealer
making sure that both the paintwork and engines of the new vehicles stay in good condition while being stored at the port
delivering vehicles to the transport loading bay when they are ready to be dispatched to dealers.

CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS & CHALLENGES

Achievements & highlights

Working as a leading hand at the port means working with new vehicles, and that is a job that carries a great deal of responsibility. This is also a job where the office is outdoors, and is a role with an endless potential for variety.

Challenges

This is a job where you can have the day planned out, but if operational priorities change then you have to start over again.

QUALIFICATION & ADVICE

Job prospects

A leading hand is part of a defined career structure where you can move into supervisory, planning and managerial roles.

What to study at school

Computer skills are useful as a number of different technologies are used to organise such a huge number of vehicles.
Maths A or Trade Maths will provide you with the numeracy skills needed for the paperwork associated with the role.
Business Studies provides a general background which is helpful.
English provides written and oral skills and the reasoning and comprehension skills needed to understand documents and procedures.
Certificate I or II in Transport and Distribution
Certificate I or II in Transport and Logistics

Training and study

TAFE

Certificate III or IV in Transport and Distribution
Certificate III or IV in Transport and Logistics
Certificate III or IV in Business
Diploma in Business
Diploma Of Business
Diploma of Logistics Management

Gaining experience

You can gain valuable experience:

working in car detailing or at a car dealership
joining vehicle operations as a yard person, driving cars and helping with storage operations
handling goods in a warehouse setting.