lightening the load to improve employee experience

In a world of logistics and automation, it almost seems counterintuitive to suggest people are a company’s key asset. But, right now, with endemic staff shortages, that is the case.

Around 90% of UK logistics companies have been affected by the HGV driver crisis, according to recent research. Furthermore, the UK Warehousing Association has found that warehouses in Britain are paying up to 30% more to recruit staff.

In a fiercely competitive jobs market, improving pay is just one part of effective staff retention. Safety and job satisfaction are also important considerations. Who wants to work in a cold, wet and potentially dangerous unloading bay? Or sit for hours in a desolate warehouse car park waiting for a chance to load or unload?

As the industry moves at pace towards the warehouse or factory of the future, companies need to innovate and make more effective use of scarce resources, including both people and space. The bonus is that better utilisation of resources will improve efficiency and productivity – meeting increased demands, while also reducing the carbon footprint.

Automated loading solutions are faster and more efficient – achieving in two or three minutes what typically takes over 30 minutes manually. They also require far fewer people, including forklift and truck drivers, as well as warehouse staff.

Automating this part of the logistics process minimises the risk of both accident and product damage, which makes it far safer for employees to unload heavy and dangerous loads – such as lithium-ion batteries and nuclear waste. Damage is also avoided because products are not left outside in the rain during the loading or unloading process, or impaired as they’re manoeuvred in and out of the trailer by stacker or forklift.

With an automated loading solution, fewer forklift trucks are required, reducing costs, minimising the risk of accidents and cutting noise levels. Forklifts, despite their increasing shift to battery power, also have a significant carbon footprint. Cutting numbers improves a business’s environmental standing and frees up valuable space that is no longer required for storage or battery charging. In turn, businesses can increase output by reducing the storage space in the loading dock area. Staff can also be reallocated to other areas of the business – such as picking and packing – where the job is both better paid and more enjoyable, while also adding business value.

For lorry drivers, automated loading completely transforms the experience. Waiting is eradicated – with driver wait time reduced by 85%. For drivers, this improves the day-to-day experience. It ensures more time on the road and reduces the uncertainty and stress associated with meeting delivery deadlines within restricted hours.

Improving the efficiency of loading and unloading delivers the certainty required to drive forward additional improvements. These are efficiencies that will not only reduce costs but also support companies’ sustainability goals. With trusted time slots for drivers, there is no need to build in contingency and no need for extra trailers to cover idle time. This enables further optimisation of the logistics process, building on the progress already made through scheduling and routing systems to maximise delivery performance.

With confidence in the speed of loading and unloading turnaround, businesses can embrace new models. For example, they can collaborate with competitors to share journeys, reduce the number of trucks on the road and minimise empty miles.

Achieving this incremental improvement in logistics efficiency on top of the reduction in forklifts – both in and out of use – as well as cutting the emissions generated by drivers waiting in their trucks will provide a significant boost to any company’s environmental performance.

UK job vacancies rose to a record 1.3 million at the beginning of 2022 – and companies need to be truly innovative to recruit and retain a skilled workforce. Jobs need to be safer and more enjoyable, not just better paid.

Automating the loading process is a vital step in enabling the next stage of automation. It delivers a rapid ROI through improved efficiency and reduced costs. It also future-proofs the business, especially against environmental regulation, by providing a platform for wider supply chain collaboration to minimise empty miles. Critically, loading automation makes the warehouse a better place to work for employees – and that is priceless.

We're the global leaders for loading and unloading solutions for transport companies, system integrators and large blue-chip organisations who need to find efficiencies in moving products from production and manufacturing onto transportation.

Through skate and pneumatic roller technology, we take the strain out of warehousing and logistics making loading/unloading more efficient by using mechanical and automated loading systems that are safe, and cost-effective.

No problem is too great, we want to bring ease, efficiency and safety to the movement of goods.

As part of our continued efforts to prolong the longevity of our loading systems, we've put together this spare parts section where you'll be able to find replacement parts and spare parts for all your favourite Joloda Hydraroll systems.