28 Sep

Factory Travel Labor Team in Knoxville: A Crew That Comes to You

When your plant needs extra hands for a short push, we will send good people to your door.

Key takeaways

Quick answer: A factory travel labor team is a crew that reports to your plant for a set job, like a shutdown, a line changeover or a big order. Labor Exchange sends pre-screened W-2 workers from South Knoxville to plants across our eight-town service area, often the same day, on one rate.

Labor Exchange is a family-owned staffing agency at 4408 Chapman Hwy in South Knoxville, reachable at (865) 247-4957.
Every worker on a plant crew is a pre-screened W-2 employee, and we carry the workers' comp and payroll taxes.
We send crews to factories in Knoxville, Maryville, Alcoa, Oak Ridge, Seymour, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.
You pay one rate that covers pay, taxes, comp and screening, and you get one invoice for the whole crew.

Honestly, some of my favorite calls come from a plant that is short on hands with a deadline coming up fast. We are in the people business, and a factory travel labor team is just that: a group of our people who show up at your plant, ready to work, for as long as the job needs them.

What does a factory travel labor team actually do?

It is a crew that comes to you, instead of you trying to hire one person at a time. The work is usually hands-on and time-boxed: breaking down and cleaning a line during a planned shutdown, moving racking for a layout change, sorting and staging parts, loading trailers, or catching up on packaging when a big order lands at once.

Your supervisor directs the work on your floor, and we handle everything behind the worker: screening, the I-9, payroll, taxes and workers' comp. When the push is over, the crew goes back to us, and you are not left with layoffs or unemployment claims.

Where in East Tennessee will our crews go?

We are based on Chapman Highway, so our people come from South Knoxville and the neighborhoods around it. We send crews to plants and warehouses in Knoxville, Alcoa, Maryville, Oak Ridge, Seymour, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. That covers the industrial parks off Alcoa Highway, the manufacturing along the Pellissippi corridor, and the distribution buildings out toward Sevier County.

I will be straight with you about distance. A crew heading to Oak Ridge or Sevierville for a 6 a.m. start leaves early, so tell us your start time and gate instructions when you call. It helps us match you with workers who have reliable rides and can be at your dock on time, every day of the job.

How fast can a crew get to my plant?

Often the same day. Our workers come through our door on Chapman Highway every morning looking for work, and many of them want it today. If you call early with a headcount, a start time and what the job involves, we can usually have people on the way to you that morning.

For a planned shutdown or changeover, call us a few days ahead. That gives us time to build a steady crew, so the same faces come back day two and day three, and your lead is not training new people every shift.

What does a plant crew cost?

You pay one hourly rate per worker. That rate already covers the worker's pay, payroll taxes, workers' comp and screening, so there is no separate bill for any of it. At the end of the week you get one invoice for the whole crew, whether that was three people or twelve.

If you meet someone on the crew you want to keep, you can hire them. Our conversion fee is $3,000, pro-rated by the hours they have already worked for you, so it shrinks the longer they stay. Once a worker reaches about 720 hours, roughly 18 full-time weeks, you can hire them with no fee at all.

Who are the people on the crew?

They are our neighbors. Every worker is a W-2 employee of Labor Exchange, not a 1099 contractor, and each one is pre-screened before they go out. They bring two forms of ID for the I-9, and they get paid daily, which is a big part of why good people keep coming back to us.

My staff and I get to know the people we send. We know who is steady on a pallet jack, who is careful around moving equipment, and who does well on a long feet-on-concrete shift. Everyone that works at Labor Exchange is family to us, and we treat your plant the way we would want our own family treated.

How do I book a factory crew?

Call us at (865) 247-4957 or stop by 4408 Chapman Hwy. Tell us how many people you need, the start date and time, how long the job should last, what the work is, and any safety gear your floor requires, like steel toes or high-vis vests.

We will tell you honestly what we can fill and when. Bill started this company in 2012 to put Knoxville to work, and that is still what we do every day.

Common questions

Can Labor Exchange send a crew to a factory outside Knoxville?

Yes, within our service area. We send crews to plants in Knoxville, Maryville, Alcoa, Oak Ridge, Seymour, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Tell us the address and start time so we can match workers who can get there reliably.

Are factory crew workers employees or contractors?

Every worker we send is a W-2 employee of Labor Exchange, not a 1099 contractor. We handle their payroll, payroll taxes and workers' comp, so your plant does not carry that paperwork.

How much notice do you need for a plant shutdown crew?

For a planned shutdown or line changeover, a few days of notice lets us build a steady crew that returns each day. For urgent needs, call early in the morning and we can often send workers the same day.

What does a factory labor crew cost?

You pay one hourly rate per worker that covers pay, payroll taxes, workers' comp and screening. You receive one invoice for the whole crew instead of separate bills.

Can I hire someone from the crew permanently?

Yes. The conversion fee is $3,000, pro-rated by the hours the worker has already worked, so it gets smaller the longer they stay. After about 720 hours, roughly 18 full-time weeks, you can hire them with no fee.

What should I tell you when I call for a factory crew?

Tell us the headcount, start date and time, how long the job will run, what the work involves, and any required safety gear such as steel-toe boots or high-vis vests. The more we know, the better we can match the crew to your floor.