ZLine operates every day but Christmas and is run by the Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association, a nonprofit funded by employers and government.

At Radial, Wnorowski said, "we want employees to be full time." Associates start on a temporary basis at $15.75 an hour, and most nonseasonal hires make it to permanent status and full benefits within three months, she said. More than 60% of the company's current leads started as temps.

Management roles in transportation and warehousing have become more numerous, with 52% growth in Southeastern Pennsylvania since 2018, according to Philadelphia Works.

Yet managers account for only 3.4% of industry employment, while more than 70% of jobs involve moving materials. But technology may eventually displace some workers at the lower ranks.

Automation pros and cons

The most common jobs in warehousing could be transformed in the coming years with increased automation, said Clancy, especially stockers and order fillers.

Picture robots traversing warehouse aisles to grab items, rather than humans walking and searching.

That may reduce the number of workers in the building, Strauss-Wieder said, and it could make human jobs less physically taxing by reducing injury caused by repetitive motions.

Radial sees robotics as a way to enhance employee performance, Wnorowski said. She said the tech might mean workers are walking the floor less, but she doesn't expect a robot-takeover.

"We do add tools and resources to enable being efficient going forward," she said, "but we haven't pulled back on hours or on staff."

(Philadelphia Inquirer staff writer Thomas Fitzgerald contributed to this article.)

©2024 The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC. Visit at inquirer.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.