Serving up efficiency and improved safety is a tall order… and Premium Beers was up to the task.

The Oklahoma City-based Anheuser-Busch distributor, recently completed construction of a 225,000 square foot DC with a focus on improving throughput while eliminating hazardous work spaces. Particular attention was paid to the 13 receiving and shipping docks (Rite-Hite 414-355-2600).

The company wanted to ensure safety while trimming energy costs as much as possible. Its solution was to install hydraulic vehicle restraints, vertical levelers and dock shelters at all docks.

Untimely trailer separation can prove a hazardous occurrence, remedied by vehicle restraints, according to Bob Natsch, vice president of operations for the distributor. The docks are outfitted with operator-controlled hooks that affix to a trailer's rear impact guard, protecting against premature drive-aways as well as gradual movement away from the dock during loading and unloading.

The levelers also improve operations, Natsch notes, by enabling trailers to completely back into the facility—decreasing contamination, tampering and theft. The level position is also operator controlled and can be aligned to accommodate incoming cargo.

With safety additions covered, Premium Beers moved onto other measures. Installed dock shelters create a tight seal around the loading dock door openings—minimizing draft and escaping heat.

"In the old facility, cold air was sucked through the dock doors causing our cooling equipment to work overtime and temperatures to fluctuate, costing us thousands of dollars each year," says Natsch. "The new seals and levelers help to better control the flow of hot and cold air. The seal formed by the trailer and dock door also eliminates the need for an ambient staging area in our controlled environment facility, allowing us to use all available warehouse space."