Shipping and receiving products are important tasks for most retail businesses. Employees tasked with loading and unloading shipments must have access to the right equipment in order to streamline the shipping process and avoid injury.
There are many different types of equipment that can be found on docks across the country. If you want to maximize your dock efficiency without spending a lot of money, invest in hand trucks for your dock employees.
1. Avoid Lifting Items
Dockworkers handle a lot of items each day. If these items are heavy, fatigue could set in. A hand truck allows workers to easily transport items without having to physically lift them at all.
The loading platform of a hand truck is flush with the ground. Dockworkers simply have to slide the platform underneath the items they want to move, then tip the hand truck back onto its wheels.
Large quantities of items can be moved with minimal physical effort when dockworkers use hand trucks. Reducing physical strain can help you lower workplace injuries and prevent worker burnout.
2. Easily Maneuver Items
Hand trucks make maneuvering through a busy warehouse setting much easier. Dockworkers will be able to either push or pull a loaded hand truck. This versatility makes it easy for dock workers to see where they are going while moving each load.
A loaded hand truck can turn corners with ease and navigate over bumps or cracks without disruption. You will need to ensure that the wheels on your hand trucks are designed to withstand the conditions found on your docks.
3. Move Tall Items
Moving tall items can be challenging for dock workers. Access to a hand truck makes moving tall items a breeze. Hand trucks feature an L-shaped design. The rigid back of the hand truck helps to support the weight of a load once the hand truck is tipped and ready for transit.
Tall items can easily rest on the rigid back of a hand truck so that they remain stable while being loaded or unloaded on the docks. It only takes one employee to move tall items using a hand truck, which can free up dock workers to complete other vital tasks that contribute to the efficiency of your facility.
The right equipment makes a big difference when it comes to the way your docks operate. Provide your dock workers with hand trucks to help make shipment loading and unloading a lot easier.
