Goods Issue
The last link in the chain is the only one the customer sees. A mistake here wipes out everything gained in the previous five steps.
- Loading
- Final check
- Dock management
- Paperwork
- Vehicle waiting
The only step the customer sees
Goods issue means loading the prepared consignment onto the vehicle, making the final check and sending it off with its paperwork. No improvement inside the warehouse can make up for a mistake in this step.
Two cost items stand out here: the time a vehicle waits at the dock, and the returns caused by incorrect loading. Both feed straight into the customer relationship.
- Loading: Loading from the dock or from ground level, depending on the vehicle.
- Final check: A verification made while loading, without a separate stop.
- Dock management: Planning which dock a vehicle goes to, and at what time.
What happens during loading
Most goods issue problems are created in the earlier steps and only become visible here.
- Vehicles arrive at the same time, the docks jam and waiting times grow.
- The wrong pallet goes onto the wrong vehicle and the consignment comes back.
- Pallets are damaged during loading and the customer complains.
- The ground outside is poor and loading with electric trucks becomes difficult.
- Pedestrians, drivers and trucks mix around the dock.
- Dock and time slot planning is rebuilt around the daily spread of vehicles.
- Because the loading sequence was set in the previous step, no sorting is done here.
- The loading truck is chosen for the pallet type and the loading height.
- A diesel, LPG or reinforced electric truck is proposed to suit the conditions outdoors.
- Pedestrian detection, blind spot detection and speed limiting are planned for the dock area.
From the dock plan to commissioning
In goods issue, improvement usually starts with the dock plan, not with a truck.
Vehicle and Time Slot Analysis
Daily vehicle numbers, arrival times and dock occupancy are worked out.
Dock Plan
Vehicles are spread across docks and time slots, with the loading times taken into account.
Truck Selection
The loading truck is determined by the conditions outdoors and the pallet type.
Commissioning
Installation, operator training and a repeat measurement of the waiting time.
Truck families used in goods issue
Where loading is done outdoors, ground and weather conditions decide the truck choice.
What a planned goods issue delivers
The gain in this step shows in transport costs and in the customer relationship alike.
Vehicle Waiting Time
Dock and time slot planning cuts the waiting time per vehicle directly.
Dispatch Accuracy
The sequence set in the previous step reduces the risk of loading the wrong vehicle.
Pallet Damage
The right loading truck and enough manoeuvring space reduce damage caused during loading.
Dock Safety
On a dock where pedestrians, drivers and trucks are separated the accident risk drops noticeably.
Frequently asked questions about goods issue
Should we use diesel or electric for loading?
Outdoors, on poor ground and on long uninterrupted shifts, diesel or LPG still has the advantage. Under a covered dock and on even ground electric is preferred; with no exhaust it can also enter the vehicle body. In mixed use there are plants where we position the two side by side.
Drivers get out of their vehicles in front of the dock. Does that create a risk?
Yes, the area around the dock is one of the highest-risk areas in the warehouse. Because drivers do not know the layout of the warehouse, pedestrian detection, blind spot detection and marked pedestrian routes are especially valuable here.
How can we reduce vehicle waiting time?
We start by separating out where the waiting occurs: in the dock queue, during loading or over the paperwork. In most plants the real loss is not in loading but in the vehicle waiting for a free dock. That is a planning question, not a truck question.
What do you recommend for outdoor loading in winter conditions?
Grip and visibility are the two critical points. Along with the right tyre choice, cab equipment and lighting, we recommend laser safety lights and blind spot detection systems on trucks working outdoors.
Let us reduce the waiting and error costs at your dock together
- Analysis of daily vehicles, time slots and dock occupancy
- A dock and loading plan proposal
- Truck selection to suit the conditions outdoors
- Assessment of dock safety solutions
As an authorised STILL Arser dealer and service partner we run the whole process in one place: site analysis, installation, operator training and after-sales support.