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AN AMERICAN
BULLDOG
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44 DC VELOCITY JUNE 2017 www.dcvelocity.com
full access to trailers did not provide
the tightest seal around the dock,
he says, allowing heated or cooled
air to escape and leaving workers,
equipment, and products exposed to
the elements. Some companies were
hesitant to sacrifice energy efficiency
and employee comfort in the name
of process efficiency. Today’s enclo-
sures offer a better seal, eliminating
that trade-off.
“Improvements in [enclosure]
technology over the last three to
five years have allowed customers
to have their cake and eat it too—
full access to the backs of trucks
and trailers with minimal ‘white space’
around the door opening and the back of
the trucks and trailers,” Swietlik says.
MAKE SAFETY A TOP PRIORITY
For many, the next opportunities come
from installing faster, more reliable safety
equipment.
As technology improves, the steps
required to activate loading dock safety
systems are reduced. Push-button equip-
ment is a prime example, Swietlik says,
as it improves the speed and reliability of
safety processes. For example, a hydraulic
or push-button dock leveler is activated
automatically with the push of a button,
in contrast to a mechanical dock leveler
that has to be put into place using a chain.
He says push-button equipment is fast
becoming the norm on loading docks.
The next evolution is interlock or
sequence control systems, in which safety
measures are mutually dependent—that
is, operators can’t accomplish B without
first accomplishing A. Such technology
solves problems that can occur when
workers take shortcuts as a way to get the
job done faster—for instance, not using a
dock lock on smaller loads, figuring the
chances are slim a truck will pull away
in the time it takes to unload just one or
two pallets. That sounds appealing until
you start compromising safety, which will
negate any time savings in the long run.
“Interlocks force a company-specified
sequence of operation that, when used
on a regular basis, will lead to improved
efficiencies,” says Swietlik. “For prob-
ably 98 percent of clients, that’s what
they are moving toward. That is what
many would consider an efficient dock in
today’s world.”
AUTOMATE FOR SUCCESS
Automation is a buzzword across the
industrial spectrum, and for good reason:
Automated processes can provide the ultimate in efficiency, safety, and productivity. Today, automated trailer loading—via
AGVs (automated guided vehicles) that
use laser and sensor technology—is a case
in point. AGVs help increase accuracy
and reduce staffing requirements because
fewer people are needed on the dock. John
Clark of Dematic Egemin, a global logis-
