Introduction
Loading and unloading of product is a process that is common to every warehouse. It involves the removal of inbound goods from a trailer or container, or the loading of outbound goods to a trailer or container.
Despite the ubiquity of the process across warehouses, it is not an area that has seen as much uptake in terms of automation for various reasons. There are Automated Truck Loading Systems (ATLS) that can be deployed for suitable operations and these will be covered in this post.
If you are considering automation in your warehouse operations but are not sure where to start, or which technology is right for your business, then get in touch with our consulting team to discuss further.
Where Can ATLS be Used?
ATLS can be used in the inbound and outbound processes of a warehouse or factory. They support the unloading and loading of product from vehicles.
There are two payloads that are predominantly handled: pallets and cartons. Pallets tend to be used in local supply chains and loaded/unloaded to trailers. Cartons are more typical of long-distance supply chains where shipping containers are used.
Types of ATLS
ATLS technology are typically either designed to handle pallets or cases.
Pallet
Pallet ATLS come in three varieties: Unmodified Trailer, Modified Trailer and AGV/AMR.
Unmodified Trailer ATLS use extended forks, skates or some other solution to load and unload trailers. Trailers do not need to be modified as part of these solutions however, there are often requirements for civil works on the loading docks.
Modified Trailer ATLS uses conveyor within the base of the trailer to unload and load trailers. Civil works are usually required on the loading docks to move pallets from the dock onto the trailer conveyor. They are best used to shuttle loads between factories or distribution networks.
AGV/AMR ATLS use automated vehicles that sometimes look like forklift trucks to load individual pallets to and from a trailer. These use sensors to monitor their position and perform their tasks.
Carton
Carton ATLS can be automated to various degrees using a telescopic conveyor (sometimes referred to as a ‘conveyor boom’) as the core part of the solution. The telescopic conveyor reaches far into the back of the truck to minimise travel distances.
A person might be used at either end of the conveyor to load or offload the carton from the conveyor. More autonomous alternatives include the use of robotic pick arms to pick items place items on or remove items from the telescopic conveyor.
In warehouses where goods are stored on pallets, as opposed to cartons in carton racking, there are opportunities to use robot palletising technology at the end of the offload process.
Goods-on-Hanger
Although less common that cartons and pallets, many apparel warehouses use conveyor booms that support the transport of hanging items from the back of a trailer to the marshalling area or vice versa.
Where is ATLS Best Deployed?
The availability of automation to solve our problems is only one part of the equation. The key questions always centre on whether there is a financial return from investing in the technology.
High volumes are a key driver to making the investment in automation worthwhile. The greater the volumes, the greater the labour saving compared to the fixed financial outlay.
Labour availability is also critical. If it is difficult to recruit people, then the question of automation becomes one of business resilience. Even where labour is just hard to attract or retain, a smaller labour pool leads to higher wages, which make a payback easier to justify.
Health & safety is a big factor, particularly in warehouses that unload and load loose cartons all day. This can result in injuries and allow people to be directed towards less physically demanding tasks.
New factory or warehouse facilities support the uptake of ATLS systems as the costs of civil works can be accommodated within the overall build costs of the facility, which is always cheaper than retrofitting.
Therefore, pallet ATLS are suited to the consumer goods and manufacturing sector with scope for deployment in grocery as well as food and beverage warehouses. Carton ATLS are particularly useful for high-volume sectors receiving products in containers such as retail, apparel and 3PL sectors. They are almost all focused-on vehicles loaded and unloaded at the rear of the vehicle. Side-loading lags behind.
Pros and Cons
The main benefits of ATLS technology are that there are less health and safety incidents, improved resilience to labour shortages and a reduction in operational costs.
However, ATLS solutions can involve significant investments, given the scale of the potential labour savings. Most logistics leaders will focus on automation in areas with greater labour intensity first, like picking and packing, rather than inbound and outbound.
There is always a risk even when equipment is well maintained that it could breakdown and cause operational issues. Lastly, implementing automation carries risk to ensure that it is both designed and built correctly to support the operation for years into the future.
Summary
Automated Truck Loading Systems are a more niche area of warehouse automation but can provide benefits by reducing labour requirements in the loading and offloading of trailers and containers. The type of technology is largely driven by the payload that is being handled but may also have implications for a company’s transport solution, particularly when trailer modifications are required.
Investing in automation often requires capital expenditure so it is important to produce a business case to ensure that there is a return on the investment.
BoxLogic has a wealth of experience in Warehouse Automation projects for a variety of cross-sector clients. From identifying suitable types of automation, analysing expected benefits and ROI timescales, through to shortlisting and suggesting vendors. Our independence means that we identify the most appropriate solution for you. If there is no case for automation, we will recommend a manual solution and help you design it.
BoxLogic is well positioned to assist you with your next Warehouse Automation project. Contact us to discuss your project today.
