Shunter jobs and cover
Shunters move trailers around yards, depots, ports and distribution centres on terminal tractors: hitching, placing trailers at bays and keeping the yard moving.
The job
A shunter moves trailers around a yard, a depot, a port or a distribution centre. On a large site that means backing a terminal tractor onto a trailer, connecting the air and electrical lines, moving it to a bay or a parking position and unhitching it. A road driver who arrives with a trailer waits for the shunter, and a shunter prepares trailers for departure.
Shunting runs on a yard plan. The shunter gets a list or a radio call, takes the next trailer where it needs to go, and keeps the loading bays fed so that the warehouse can work. The moves are short and repeated. A steady shunter keeps trailers flowing and a slow one stalls the site.
HSE says reversing is a major risk in workplace transport, and a yard puts lorries, forklifts and people in a limited space. A shunter who keeps a clear view, reverses with care and follows the yard’s traffic rules keeps the site safe, and that is what clients look for.
Sectors that use this role
Related roles
Licence and tickets
The licence a site asks for depends on the site and the moves. Some sites want a shunter with category C+E because the trailers also go out on public roads, and others only need a driver with experience of terminal tractors inside the yard. We ask the client and tell you before we offer a booking.
Where the shunter also drives on the road, the Driver CPC and a digital tachograph driver card apply as they do to any lorry driver.
Every site inducts its shunters on the yard rules, the traffic plan and the equipment, and asks for the protective clothing it names.
Sources: GOV.UK, Driving licence categories; Driver CPC; HSE, workplace transport safety (checked 1 October 2026).
Shifts
- Days
- Yard moves through the working day, fitted around the loading and unloading schedule.
- Nights
- Sites that run overnight need night shunters. Night work follows the working time rules.
- Weekends
- Yards that operate through the weekend need shunters then, and extra cover at peak.
- Peaks
- Before Christmas and other busy weeks, trailer numbers go up and operators book extra shunters to keep the yard moving.
Pay basis
Pay is an hourly rate set per booking. It depends on the site, the shift pattern and the client, and nights and weekends can be rated differently. We do not publish rates on this site.
The National Living Wage is the legal floor for workers aged 21 and over, and no booking pays below the legal minimum wage. You are told the rate before you accept a shift.
Checks we run
DVLA licence check
We check the licence category the site needs, endorsements and expiry with the DVLA.
Shunting experience
We ask which yards and equipment you have worked on, and for how long.
Right to work
Checked before the first shift, with a record kept.
References
References cover safe working in yards and reliability on long shifts.
The full list of checks is on the compliance checks page.
Questions about shunter work
- What is a terminal tractor?
A tractor unit built for moving trailers around a yard. It is designed for short, repeated moves around one site.
- Do I need Class 1 to shunt?
Not always. Some sites ask for category C+E because trailers also go on the road, and others only need yard experience. We check with the client and tell you before we offer a booking.
- Is shunting easier than road driving?
It is a different job. The moves are short and repeated, the space is tight, and the people and machines around you are close. Clients look for accuracy and safe reversing.
- Is shunting always on a yard?
Yes, inside a site: a depot, a port, a factory yard or a distribution centre. The site sets the traffic rules, and each new site starts with an induction.
Book a shunter
Give us the site, the equipment, the shift pattern, the licence the site asks for and the start date. We come back on who can cover it.