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22nd Feb 2020
Moving goods from a warehouse to their destination is a very important step towards successful supply chain management. For this to happen the facility through which the goods are moved needs to be properly structured. One of the most important facilities for this purpose is the loading dock.
In this article, we are going to look at the different loading docks and some of their benefits and disadvantages.
Enclosed Loading Dock: In this type of loading dock the trucks are loaded from an enclosed space in the warehouse. It is ideal if the freight needs to be loaded and transported in controlled conditions that protect them from elements like high temperatures or UV rays.
Pros: Protects the goods from damage by harsh weather elements and provides protection against theft.
Cons: Takes up a lot of space and re
quires the installation of costly ventilation systems to prevent indoor air pollution by the trucks.
Open Loading Dock: It is the opposite of the enclosed loading dock as in this case the truck is situated outside in an open space. Even though they are open on the side and frontal area they are usually designed with a canopy that provides minimal protection against elements like rain and direct sunlight.
Pros: Cheaper to construct compared to the other loading docks, they save time while loading and unloading the truck.
Cons: Exposes the goods to damage by weather elements, does not protect against theft and is very unsafe for pedestrians/forklift operators.
Sawtooth Loading Dock: This is a type of loading dock where the dock arrangement of several docks takes the shape of a sawtooth from an Ariel view. The design is usually adopted for large scale operations to provide extra space for loading several trucks.
Pros: It protects goods against weather elements, theft and provides extra space to allow for the loading of different trucks at the same time.
Cons: It wastes a lot of indoor warehouse space.
Flush Loading Dock: In this case, the dock is made of flush opening on the loading area that connects to the warehouse. The back of the loading truck seamlessly fits into the opening to allow for loading from the inside. It is the most popular type of loading dock.
Pros: Saves warehouse space, protects the goods from exposure to harsh elements, and limits theft incidences.
Article Summary;
Loading docks come in different designs which can be of great benefit to different warehouse operations. The common loading docks are;
Enclosed loading dock.
Open loading dock.
Flush loading dock.
Sawtooth loading dock.
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