Are you looking to simplify the logistics of your business?
With the logistics industry growing each year rapidly, there are more and more solutions for making it a more efficient and straightforward process. However, the old tried and true methods have stuck around for decades, and for a good reason.
The loading dock is a staple in just about every logistic facility that loads and unloads goods from a truck or other large vehicle.
The loading dock allows for quick and effortless transfer of products from the truck into a storage facility or the end user’s hands, making it an ergonomic and timesaving structure used countless times each day in the logistic and storage industries.
At FlexSpace Logistics, all warehouses within our vast network of facilities are equipped with loading docks to ensure that your products are transferred damage-free from the truck to the facility.
This article will better illustrate the benefit of loading docks and touch on different types of loading docks, cross-docking, and more.
Loading docks are recessed bays within warehouses or freight terminals that allow for easy and safe loading and unloading of goods from trucks. If your products are moved to or from a facility, it is more than likely being done through the use of a loading dock.
While loading docks are often used to load and load fright with a long-haul delivery, they are also used with dock trucks for quick, efficient delivery of more oversized items within cities. They are also used in refrigerated transportation, as the product within needs to be transferred into the facility quickly to prevent spoilage.
Loading docks are an essential part of warehouses and freight terminals as they simplify the delivery and warehousing of goods across the logistic and storage industry.
Loading docks increase the efficiency of loading and unloading freight and, in turn, cut costs and get the product to the end-user faster. With this efficiency and reliability, a business can deliver products more consistently and grow and thrive.
The best way to transfer freight into and out of a facility is with the right equipment and a loading dock built to the proper specifications and safety standards.
While you may think of loading docks as one uniform design, there are many types of loading docks, all with different advantages and disadvantages. Here are some of the more common ones you will encounter:
A flush dock is the most common loading dock that you will encounter. This dock style acts as an opening flush with the warehouse wall; this allows the back of the truck to attach to the dock for easy transfer. Flush docks save space as they do not have an additional piece that pokes out, and it does not require an enclosure for the vehicle.
Open docks do not have an enclosure that surrounds the back of the truck, making them unsafe as they are more susceptible to weather conditions. To combat this, they are often covered by a makeshift roof while the sides remain open. Because of the hazardous nature of open loading docks, they aren’t commonly used.
Sawtooth loading docks were created for situations that leave little outdoor maneuvering space. These docks allow trucks to approach at different angles, saving space on the outside of the warehouse. While they provide more space outside the warehouse, the trade-off is that they often waste space inside the warehouse or freight terminal.
Enclosed docks are the least common types of loading docks. These docks allow trucks to enter the warehouse entirely, protecting them from weather conditions, so they are often used for temperature-controlled freight. However, because these docks need room for an entire truck, they take up a large portion of space while also requiring ventilation systems to prevent exhaust and pollution produced by the trucks.
Crossing-docking is the act of temporarily unloading inbound freight from one truck before loading it onto another truck for outbound shipping. Cross-docking is one of the most common logistic practices and is done through loading docks and dock trucks and allows for minimal handling of the product during delivery to its final destination to the end-user.
The process of crossing-docking involves docking terminals equipped with inbound and outbound loading docks, which allows for quick transfer and consolidation of freight, minimizing the amount of time merchandise needs to be held in a warehouse.
Crossing-docking reduces labour costs and warehouse space while also ensuring that the product gets to the end-user.
Loading docks are an essential part of the logistic and storage industry and will continue you be so for decades to come. The ease and efficiency brought on by loading docks make it an excellent solution for those dealing with freight and those paying for the logistic or storage services as it saves a significant amount of time.
At FlexSpace Logistics, we offer loading docks at each one of our storage facilities across Canada, so when you use any of our storage or logistic services, you can rest assured that we are doing so quickly and efficiently.
We handle each package with care, so you don’t have to worry about any damage during the journey from the warehouse shelf to the customer’s doorstep. We are dedicated to providing the best service so that the shipping and storage processes are as stress-free and reliable as possible!
If you’d like to get started, get a quote today, or contact one of our FlexSpace Logistics advisors to find the right solution for your business at 1-844-985-3539.
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