Unloading trailers is an obvious source of frustration for carriers, drivers, and the businesses waiting for the delivery to complete. Receiving docks are often the place where productivity falls behind.
Are your docks as efficient as they can be? Or are they a choke point for inbound and outbound freight handling?
Here are five things for your company to think about as you evaluate how to improve your inbound freight handling.
Is Your Inbound Flow Too Complicated?
As drivers become frustrated waiting for freight to move off the truck, the warehouse operator is unable to handle the shipments until the process of receiving is completed. For large warehouses, it can bring productivity to a grinding halt. So why does the seemingly simple act of unloading and receiving freight warrant such a complicated process
Who Handles Freight?
Drivers aren’t paid to haul boxes and lift pallets. Most warehouse managers don’t like to re-allocate their staff to unloading, because it prevents them from performing their usual work, slows down warehouse operations, and raises the cost of labor. Your options are to employ freight handlers yourself or rely on a lumper service to do it for you.
Labor Agreements
In some cases, warehouse staff don’t allow non-union drivers to assist on the dock. In others, the drivers are unwilling or unable to unload freight for other reasons. But everyone wants a quick unload. But who should have to move the freight? Who should pay the workers? Again, your options are hiring the labor yourself or using a third party to handle many of these issues off your shoulders. These issues include payroll, employee benefits, insurance requirements, and risk mitigation.
The Role of Unloading Service Providers
A third-party provider can help your team develop customized solutions that optimize warehouse dock functions and processes. Technology can give you high-quality dock management data, tracking capabilities, and customizable reports for superior business management. The wrong service can charge you too much per pallet or per stacked load, but a trustworthy service will end up saving the warehouse money and headaches in the long run.
Finding a Custom Solution for You
Agreements between distribution center operators and carriers work best when there’s an intermediate service. The workers behind this service need to be insured, uniformed, and have a can-do attitude. There shouldn’t be any surprise fees or “under the table” transactions. The best freight unloading service can reduce HR costs (something a staffing agency can’t top) and so much more.
See how Costa Solutions can benefit your business. Call today, or to learn more, download our free white paper: A Roadmap for Warehouse Excellence.