Boosting Loading Dock Efficiencies

Whether you own, lease, or are going to build a new warehouse, these 10 Tips will help boost your efficiencies in your loading dock operations.

1 - IMPROVE EMPLOYEE COMFORT
Install a dock door with ventilation screen panels, which let in light and fresh air. Also seal the dock to keep employees warm and dry during cold, wet weather.

2 - CREATE BIGGER DOCK OPENINGS
Make sure your dock door openings are tall and wide enough to service today's larger and wider trailers. Dock door openings should be 10' tall and 10' wide.

3 - LIGHTEN THINGS UP
Lighting the inside of the trailer will improve dock productivity. Try LED dock lights which save energy and provide better light quality than traditional incandescent bulbs.

4 - THINK PUSH-BUTTON LEVELERS
Mechanical levelers, which require manual operation should be replaced by hydraulic or air-powered levelers that operate at the push of a button speed efficiencies and reduce maintenance needs.

5 - SEPARATE PEDESTRIAN AND LIFT TRUCK TRAFFIC
Install industrial safety barriers to protect people from multiple safety risks, including forklift impacts. They also keep employees and visitors from entering the dock, where they can distract forklift operations and cause accidents.

6 - GET THE RIGHT SEQUENCE
Improper sequencing of controls can lead to equipment damage and inefficiencies. Dock workers should lock the trailer with the restraint first, then open the overhead door, and finally, lower the leveler into the open trailer for servicing.

7 - GUIDE THE TRUCK
Use trailer wheel guides to help drivers back up to the docks. Steel wheel guides anchored into the drive approach help drivers properly align trailers with the dock opening, and reflective guides on the wall below the dock bumpers indicate where to position the trailer. Less time spent aligning the trailer to the dock translates into more time spent loading/unloading the trailer.

8 - USE ADVANCED LIGHT COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS
Lights installed on the top corners of the dock doors tell the dock manager whether a trailer is being serviced by a lift truck or sitting idle. These indicators help the manager keep dock traffic flowing.

9 - INSTALL VERTICAL-STORING LEVELERS
Eliminate the need for truck drivers to get out of the cab, open the trailer doors, then fully back up the trailer to the dock doors. With vertical-storing levelers, the driver can simply back the trailer up to the door and let the dock attendant do the rest.

10 - MOVE BEYOND WHEEL CHOCKS
Wheel chocks prevent trailers from moving, but vehicle restraints are more effective. Wheel chocks take time to position and can create safety issues. Electro-mechanical vehicle restraints secure the trailer at the push of a button and hold it safely.

(Source: IL April 2010)