Clearing a Path Between Dock and Trailer Can Reduce Product and Profit Loss

Whether it's frozen dinners or electronic equipment, product has to make it to market unharmed, so it can be sold. But in every industry, a certain percentage of all products produced end up discarded or refurbished because of expiration, contamination, or more commonly, physical damage. For the company doing the shipping/receiving, an unusable product is simply too expensive to tolerate.

Damage in the Material Transfer Zone

Though the path from manufacturer to end-user is typically hundreds of miles long, the most treacherous stretch of travel for most products is within the Material Transfer Zone -- the area from the loading dock drive approach into and across the shipping/receiving area. Many instances of expensive product damage and/or contamination can be avoided, and profits regained, simply by making sure that product is loaded on and off trailers without being spilled, crushed or subjected to inclement weather. It seems simple, but unless shipping/receiving areas are properly designed and equipped to match dock openings with trailers and their loads, product damage is inevitable. Dock positioning and design, load configuration, dock equipment, forklift interaction and trailer design are all vulnerabilities in the material transfer zone. If not configured appropriately, interruption of material flow and consistent product damage will result.

Inadequate Access

Modern shipping trends and corresponding trailer design are largely responsible for the mismatch at the dock that can lead to product damage. In the past, the standard trailer was 48 feet long with an interior 96 to 98 inches wide and 106 to 108 inches high. Today, most trailers are 53 feet long and have been reconfigured for 99 to 101 inches of interior width and 110 inches of interior height. The increased width enables GMA pallets (40 inches x 48 inches) to be placed on board with the long side leading (double pinwheeled). This eliminates empty space along the trailer sides and creates room for several more pallets. Often, these trailers arrive at loading docks filled from wall to wall with a full 8 feet of product, and from floor to ceiling, all the way to the rear sill. Moreover, they are generally below the typical 48 to 50 inches dock height, as trailers with lower bed heights have increased interior space to allow even more product to be loaded. This is great for shipping efficiency, but causes problems as it becomes extremely difficult to smoothly and efficiently access and maneuver product off the trailer. The first few pallets of a fully cubed, below-dock level trailer are difficult for workers or forklifts to reach, due to interference from bumpers or pit walls surrounding standard 6 or 7 feet wide levelers. Product can be crushed on the way out as it knocks against these obstructions. Even after the first pallets are removed, loads can still be damaged as the forklift impacts the interfering pit wall as it's backing out of the trailer. When below-dock, fully loaded trailers must be serviced, the best loading/unloading conditions can be achieved through the use of extra-wide (8 feet6 inches) dock levelers or ground-based truck levelers. Another source of access problems that can lead to product damage as well as building and door damage stems from the mismatch between dock openings themselves and the trailers that must be serviced. Modern trailer sizes have outgrown many existing loading dock openings so that walls, door tracks and foam dock seals protrude into the trailer. This, once again, leads to restricted access to loads as well as troublesome interference as the forklift attempts to maneuver loads. Considering the size of today's trailers, any dry facility handling full trailer loads should be outfitted with dock openings of at least 9 feet x 10 feet.

Water and Moisture

Dock seals and shelters are typically considered for their ability to keep cold or hot weather out and controlled temperatures in. But moisture can be even more damaging to products. Just a few drops of moisture can rust metal, ruin electronics and destroy paper-based packaging and products. Food products and other consumables are also susceptible to contamination, as water on any one product in a pallet will often make the whole load unusable. The most common form of water damage occurs when rain or melting snow flows down the back of the trailer onto the trailer bed and dock leveler. Unless the water is blocked with a tight fitting seal, it can fall on product and personnel moving in or out of the trailer. Typical dock seal head pads, head curtains and traditional shelters are generally not able to prevent this problem from occurring. However, top-sealing systems that use weight to seal tightly across the full width of the trailer roof can put an end to the funnel effect, and help protect product, equipment and personnel from inclement weather.

Load Jolting

Once the potential damage from small doors, doorway intrusions and bad weather has been eliminated, the smooth transition from dock to trailer must be addressed. If all trailers were the same size and remain at the same level regardless of load size, docks could be designed to be precisely level with the trailers they serve. Unfortunately, this is not the case. With air-ride technology, even if a trailer arrives level with the dock, bed height can drop as much as 4 to 8 inches by the time loading is finished. Ideally, the dock leveler descends down with the trailer bed as each load adds weight to the trailer. If the bed height lowers significantly, the dock leveler adopts a steep slope that the forklift and load must negotiate. Fragile loads can be damaged as the forklift "hits bottom" on the way into the trailer.

Rite-Hite Corp.,

8900 N. Arbon Dr., Milwaukee, WI 53223

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