Team focus: Life as a warehouse operative

scott-warehouse.jpg

At Fagan & Whalley, our people are at the heart of everything we do… But what is that, exactly? You may be familiar with the Fagan & Whalley name having seen our trucks on the roads of the UK, but how much do you know about the people behind our operations? 

In this series of articles, we speak with staff members across all departments to shed a bit of light on what’s involved with their role, and the part they play in terms of the grander scheme of things here at Fagan & Whalley. 

“The work of a warehouse operative is always varied,” explains F&W warehouse manager, John Durkin. “With a large team of warehouse staff split across our two core operational sites - our purpose-built warehouse at Burnley Bridge and our latest investment at Frontier Park - they’re responsible for managing the storage and distribution of our customers’ products on a day-to-day basis, which can, and often will, change in accordance with customer requirements and demand. 

“As we always have to ensure we are responsive to client needs, there’s a lot of communication with our customer service and administrative teams, who will liaise directly with our customers, identify their needs, and then allocate tasks and organise staff members in accordance with those needs. 

“Seeing that we’re responsible for managing the stock of around twenty of our customers across both sites, you can imagine how often things will need to be swapped and changed around in order to fulfil customer priorities, so it’s important for each of our warehouse operatives to remain flexible and adaptable in their work.

“Because we offer our transport and distribution services for groupage, full-load and part-load consignments, our warehouse operatives also have to remain on the ball. Groupage consignments involve products from various customers being loaded onto the same trailer ready for distribution, and full loads see one trailer dedicated entirely to products from one customer. We also run collections, which will involve us liaising with third-party logistics providers to incorporate client stock into our warehouses. 

“Due to the nature of the services we offer and the industries we work alongside, no two days are the same for our warehouse operatives, and as a result, the majority of the team is entirely multi-skilled and qualified to operate the range of vehicles required for the job, including VNAs (Very narrow aisle trucks) for picking, PPTs (powered pallet trucks) for loading, and FLTs (forklift trucks) for loading in dock-levelled bays.

“As a department, we’re required to maintain regular communication with various departments across the company, including our customer service team at Albion House, who will keep us informed of any changes to customer requirements, our operations team at Site One, who keep everything organised for our artic vehicles and Palletforce deliveries, and our transport team, who manage our biggest resource - vehicles and trailers - and play a vital role in helping us to get things moving from our warehouse and out on the road.” 

Q&A with Warehouse Operative, Scott Jackson! 

How long have you been working at Fagan & Whalley?I started working here in February 2019, so almost three years now! 

What do you enjoy most about your work?I lead a diverse group of individuals, each with their own talents, who never fail to come together as a team in order to deliver the best customer service possible, and this is definitely the best thing about my job. 

What are some of the challenges you face in your role?The fantastic thing about the company is that it’s continuing to grow and evolve at an impressive rate, which is always wonderful to witness and be a part of, but as you can imagine, it does bring with it some challenges. Part of the challenge comes with making sure our team members are constantly learning and adapting to the shifts in our operations to deliver better practices and enable everything to run smoothly. 

Did you have to undertake any formal training to become a warehouse operative?I did indeed, and since I started I’ve been fortunate enough on many occasions to be granted the opportunities to continue learning and developing my skill set. 

How do you manage the variation in your day-to-day responsibilities?I think it comes with having a strong work ethic. It’s important to be organised, set clear goals and know the actions you need to take to see them achieved, and I enjoy doing it! My time so far with the company has been both interesting and enjoyable, and I really look forward to my future here. 

Interested in becoming a warehouse operative here at Fagan & Whalley? View our current vacancies and apply online today! 

Enjoyed this? Read more from Fagan & Whalley Limited

Latest news

1

University of Central Lancashire celebrates hat-trick of wins at Educate North Awards University of Central Lancashire winners at Educate North Award Winners 2025

University of Central Lancashire celebrates hat-trick of wins at Educate North Awards

04 Apr 2025

2

The Villa’s sister venue shuts its doors The Villa Levens and The VillaWrea Green (Image credit: The Villa Levens and The Villa Wrea Green)

The Villa’s sister venue shuts its doors

04 Apr 2025

3

PM urged not to retaliate over tariffs Manufacturing

PM urged not to retaliate over tariffs

03 Apr 2025

4

CMAC Group appoints Matthew Ratcliffe as chief operating officer Matthew Ratcliffe CMAC

CMAC Group appoints Matthew Ratcliffe as chief operating officer

03 Apr 2025

5

For sale signs at The Villa Villa Wrea Green has been brought to market (Image credit: The Villa Wrea Green)

For sale signs at The Villa

02 Apr 2025

Pc Prestonmacan Gif980x120 March
Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
Lancashire Net Zero Carbon Conference
Net Zero Carbon Social 1200px
Networking
18 Jun 2025

Lancashire Net Zero Carbon Conference

Crow Wood Hotel & Spa Resort, Burnley, BB12 0RT

08:30 - 13:00

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

RISE - The Academy for Female Leaders and Managers
WENDY BOWERS RISE Illustrstion copy.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
02 Apr 2025 - 08 Oct 2025

RISE - The Academy for Female Leaders and Managers

East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Clayton le Moors, BB5 5JR

09:00 - 15:30

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire
LBV Hub Networking
24 Apr 2025 - 24 Apr 2025

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire

Stanley House, Blackburn, BB2 7NP

11:30 - 14:15

People Power: Exclusive Event Series
Stay ahead in 2025.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
29 Apr 2025 - 29 Apr 2025

People Power: Exclusive Event Series

People's History Museum, Manchester, M3 3ER

17:00 - 21:00

Planning for the future + navigating Inheritance Tax changes
Planning for the future + navigating Inheritance Tax changes for website.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
01 May 2025 - 01 May 2025

Planning for the future + navigating Inheritance Tax changes

Stanley House Hotel, Mellor, Blackburn, BB2 7NP, Blackburn, BB2 7NP

08:00 - 10:30

A night at the races
1.png.png
LBV Hub Dinners / Balls
02 May 2025 - 02 May 2025

A night at the races

Morecambe FC, Morecambe, LA4 4TB

19:00 - 23:59

Innovating business solutions through PhD Partnerships
30478 Skills Bootcamp open day setting.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
07 May 2025 - 07 May 2025

Innovating business solutions through PhD Partnerships

University of Central Lancashire, Preston , PR1 2HE

14:30 - 15:30

Celebrating 50 years of KTP
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
07 May 2025 - 07 May 2025

Celebrating 50 years of KTP

University of Central Lancashire , Preston, PR1 2HE

16:00 - 18:00

Research and Knowledge Exchange Showcase
13421_research_knowledge_exchange_2025_600x300.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Awards
07 May 2025 - 08 May 2025

Research and Knowledge Exchange Showcase

University of Central Lancashire , Preston, PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

Business Support Showcase: Collaborate, Innovate, Grow
Student Centre Autumn 2022.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
08 May 2025 - 08 May 2025

Business Support Showcase: Collaborate, Innovate, Grow

University of Central Lancashire, Preston , PR1 2HE

11:00 - 13:00

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more Lbv121 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin