The needs for safety, efficiency and detailed data collection are transforming modern docks from mere openings to critical components of an enterprise’s success.

Last year, Modern’s Basics Series explored the functional areas of the warehouse, from receiving to picking and shipping. This year, our Equipment Basics series will focus on equipment segments, beginning with the dock, and followed by conveyors/sortation, automated storage and automatic guided vehicles. In each story, Modern and a group of industry experts will examine the fundamental equipment elements that ensure top performance in the modern warehouse.

Because the standards for performance and safety have changed dramatically in the last decade, “basics” is a relative term. In fact, it might take even less time than that for the descriptions of a modern dock in this article to seem downright old-fashioned. However, for every up-to-date dock there are many, many more that fall short of these basics. Rather than negligence, this is due to the sheer number of docks in use and the rate at which dock technologies have progressed.

The growing toolkit

Read the entire article in Modern Materials Handling here.