Company boardrooms would feel much more relaxed if they could accurately predict all future business trends, cycles and extraneous developments that could seriously impact their business. It is an unachievable goal but a path, nevertheless, that could be less thorny by making a business more flexible to cope with inevitable changes. One such area where flexibility is moving centre stage is the loading bay and key drivers behind this are multi-channel distribution and environmental considerations.

chazWith an eye on warehouse sustainability, the supply chains have been identified by many businesses as an area where improvements can be made, says loading bay specialist, Hormann UK. By extending building lifespans, the long-term asset cost can be reduced annually but the asset must be flexible to cope with changes in the least costly way, and with flexibility comes a wider appeal to potential tenants.

The latest thinking that enhances the ability to adapt or alter loading bays readily involves installing knock-through panels to insert additional bays at a future stage, through to installing dummy loading bays with manual insulated doors and covered dock leveller spaces so that additional bays can be added without the need for any building work.

Such flexibility in loading bay design is now crucial for big retailers owing to the seismic change in traditional distribution patterns fired by the remorseless rise of on-line shopping. This has created a need for handling many different-sized vehicles, from large 40 ft trailers to much smaller vans for home deliveries. Environmental concerns are also driving change in vehicle size and designs. Double-deck trailers are becoming more common because they can sharply cut transport costs but to accommodate them loading bays must vary their interface kit like dock levellers and shelters. Examples include longer dock levellers with telescopic lips to cope with a greater range of vehicle heights, with dock shelters and doors to match.

Sustainability includes energy issues and nowhere in a warehouse is the potential for energy losses greater than in the loading bay. According to one American estimate, energy costs can account for as much as 15% of a warehouse’s budget (up to 30% for cold stores). Lighting is by far the biggest energy cost, making up 65%, and the next is space heating. This is why LED lighting, now rapidly taking over in warehouses, is creeping into the loading bay because, although initially more costly, their long service life of up to 100,000 hours, much lower energy consumption and maintenance costs, make them well suited for loading bays.

Heat loss through doors can be useful for warming the marshalling yards but unhelpful to the profit and loss accounts. Rapid roll PVC doors, insulated slatted doors and inflatable dock shelters are effective barriers against not only heat loss but vermin ingress, particularly important for food and pharma retailers. Most leading loading bay suppliers will conduct free energy audits for potential clients, an exercise that could show startling results.

As with any materials handling equipment, after sales service is a key concern, but one still often neglected until breakdowns occur. Equipment quality and installation can very widely so initial costs should not be the controlling factor when choosing a supply partner. Site visits to some of these suppliers’ clients are strongly recommended.

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