Too often, he adds, docks are too high for today’s trailers. Dock doors aren’t wide enough for today’s loads. And, dock plates are often the wrong size and capacity for what the client wants to run over them. “In those instances, the dock becomes like a clogged artery,” Swietlik says. “When a truck comes in, it has to be loaded or unloaded by hand and productivity goes down the tube.”

The solution, he adds, is relatively simple. Before leasing a building or implementing new processes, have a discussion with someone who specializes in dock equipment to make sure the right equipment is in place to work with the distribution and shipping procedures. “The dock is part of an overall system,” Swietlik says. “If you’re maximizing the cube on a pallet and you want to maximize the cube in a trailer, that cube better roll through the doors efficiently.”

7.Automation doesn’t stop at the dock door.
Loading or unloading floor-loaded containers and trailers is typically done in one of two ways. Cartons are manually loaded onto a pallet that is then removed by a pallet jack or lift truck. Or the cartons are loaded onto an extendable conveyor that reaches into the trailer. In the second example, an associate often has to reach over his head or stand on a step stool to get to the cartons at the top of the stack. Both approaches are hard work and neither is very ergonomic.

Semi-automated and automated solutions for loading and unloading cartons can now extend the reach of automated materials handling systems right into the trailer.

The first approach involves attaching a powered platform to a flexible roller conveyor or extendable belt conveyor. The platform’s controls allow an associate to position it at an ergonomic height and slide a carton from the conveyor into position in the stack. “One liquor distributor in Ontario was loading 575 cases an hour with two people in the trailer using just a flexible roller conveyor,” says Richard Kat, vice president of sales and marketing for Engineered Lifting Systems. “By adding the powered platform to the conveyor, one operator can now load 650 cases per hour and the operators aren’t as tired at the end of the shift.” The reason is that the associate can slide the cases into position rather than lift them.

At the same time, robots are now being deployed to automatically load and unload cartons from trailers and shipping containers. The technology is already being used by a leading CPG manufacturer, according to Joe O’Connor, director of marketing for Wynright. “One robot can work two containers,” O’Connor says. And while the solution still requires an associate on the dock to oversee the robots, typically one associate can monitor three robots.