orderpicker

An orderpicker is a term used in warehousing and logistics to describe either a person who collects items for customer orders or a type of material handling vehicle designed to access stock at height.

As a human role, order pickers locate items in storage areas, verify SKUs, count items, and prepare them for packing and shipping. They often work from picking lists and may use handheld scanners, voice systems, or pick-to-light aids to improve accuracy and speed.

As equipment, an order picker refers to a specialized forklift or cherry-picking truck with an elevating cabin that allows an operator to stand or sit and pick items directly from racking at varying heights. These machines are common in high-bay warehouses and are designed to operate in narrow aisles with good visibility and safety features such as guard rails and safety interlocks.

In modern warehouses, order picking is integrated with warehouse management systems and automated solutions. Practices include batch, zone, or wave picking; pick-to-light, voice-picking, and RFID/barcode scanning, as well as automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) and robotic order pickers that reduce manual handling.

The term is sometimes written as order picker, order-picking machine, or orderpicker; the exact meaning depends on the context (human worker vs. equipment).