What Does Loading /Unloading Mean in Shipping?

By simple definition, the term loading/unloading relative to the shipping industry refers to either

the placement of goods inside a stationary container or trailer or the removal of goods from a trailer or container that has reached its destination and therefore is not moving. However, at Labor Loop, a third party vendor that provides expert on-demand lumper services, the term can mean something else. It can mean that a client thinks so highly of our team and realizes how their business can benefit from our services that they partner with Labor Loop to provide both the loading of goods at the transportation carrier site. Additionally, clients can request to employ our team to perform the unloading services at the warehouse dock when the container or trailer arrives at its final destination. 

Why would any company, let alone anyone who oversees a supply chain, opt for that solution? There are many reasons, chief of which are consistency, reliability, dependability, efficiency, lower overhead costs, and far lower potential for product damages and asset losses due to load shift en route. Those are six great reasons to put our number in your cell contacts list or on speed-dial at the office. Loading/unloading products, goods, and equipment is a nail biter for every transportation carrier, warehouse manager, and for those responsible for every link in their supply chain.

Seasoned veterans along the supply chain have tried a number of ways to lower costs, including hiring day laborers for the additional temporary staffing the job required. It went downhill from that point on as the temps did not have their own safety/protective equipment, and due to their inexperience, they worked at an extremely slow pace. Other options included diverting existing staffers away from their daily tasks to before the on-off trailer unloading. Once damages that had occurred in transit due to inept loading techniques, all work stopped until the insurance adjuster arrived. Ultimately, both time and money were lost while operational costs took a hit. Their conclusion: loading/unloading cargo is not a job for amateurs!

What to do instead? As previously mentioned, just give Labor Loop a call. We offer the true and best solution for those times when occasionally there is a need for qualified personnel to perform loading/unloading services. Labor Loop provides qualified staffers for the day, by the job, by the hour – however and whenever you need our support. We’re available even on short notice. Our teams are OSHA-trained and certified workers who are seasoned at loading/unloading both quickly and efficiently, using tried and true techniques to minimize load shift and the potential for damages. This way you avoid lost time and asset losses as well as increased operational costs. We are cost-effective in other ways as well- as we are not full-time staff, there are no carrying costs such as health insurance; we carry our own. Best of all, we’re here when you need additional supply chain support and gone when you do not. 

Learn more about our loading/unloading and additional supply chain staffing services. Download our app or contact us today!