Your work relies on your ability to efficiently and safely receive raw materials and ship your finished products to customers. While this can be done relatively easily when dealing with small quantities or lower volumes, the growth of your operation can turn the simple operations of receiving and shipping into significant hassles.
If your operation has expanded and you see more volume in and out of your doors, consider adding a loading dock to your facility.
1. You’re Experiencing Bottlenecks in Shipping or Receiving
Without a loading dock, your incoming supplies have to be manually unloaded from the truck. When you’re receiving full loads of material, this process can take even a full team of workers a long time to handle, and the same slowdowns are affecting your outgoing shipments.
Adding a loading dock significantly reduces the time your team has to spend on loading and unloading tasks. A trained forklift operator can unload a packed truck single-handedly in just a few minutes, getting your materials in place and ready to work quickly and with minimal disruption to operations.
2. Your Employees Are Experiencing Injuries or Accidents in Loading and Unloading
While caution is required for all industrial jobs, loading and unloading tasks account for a substantial portion of workplace accidents and injuries. From back strain to severe crushing injuries and even deaths, the nature of loading and unloading jobs makes them particularly dangerous when employees are manually moving material on and off delivery vehicles.
With a loading dock in place, loading and unloading tasks still require caution and watchfulness, but the risk of accidents and injuries is significantly reduced. Fewer employees are required to manage each shipment, considerably less lifting and carrying are required, and the difference between vehicular and pedestrian areas can be clearly marked.
3. Your Facility’s Environmental Control is Suffering
Especially if your facility deals in perishable goods, dangerous chemicals, or other materials requiring specific climate control for safety, freshness, or even comfort reasons, you’re losing money with every moment a loading door has to stay open while materials are shuttled in or out.
Adding a loading dock will bring a noticeable difference in your facility’s HVAC needs since trucks backed into the dock leave a minimal gap for your conditioned air to escape into the environment, thus reducing your energy expenditures and wear on your HVAC equipment, ultimately helping your bottom line.
Is it time for your deliveries and shipments to be faster, safer, and more efficient? Talk to the construction experts at Jerry L. Johnson & Associates.
Our team has experience adding loading docks to commercial and industrial facilities throughout the Southeast, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. With 40+ years of experience, we can bring your facility up to date and prepare it for your future growth. Call us today at 770-961-7600
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