What is the Warehouse Loading and Warehouse Unloading Process?

To ensure that raw materials, manufactured goods, and perishable products arrive at their destination in optimal condition, they first must be carefully and correctly loaded. Then at the end of their journey, generally at the warehouse dock, these trailers, and containers must be just as carefully and correctly unloaded. If that sounds like a task that is best left to experienced professionals, it is. In this posting, Labor Loop, a leading on-demand freight loading and unloading services firm, details the warehouse loading and warehouse unloading processes for a better understand of why these are critical links in any supply chain.

The first step, naturally, is freight loading. It is simple enough to state that this is the point where the previously mentioned products and goods must be placed inside the containers and trailers. The goal is to load as much product as can be safely placed inside. Determining how much product can be loaded depends on what the product is, how many packages there are, the size and weight of each individual product. Freight loaders, or lumpers as they are also known, must be aware that the greatest amount of freight weight needs to be evenly distributed along the axles to prevent damage to the truck that is driving the cargo to its destination.

Products cannot be stacked too high, either, as these will topple in transit. Load shifting, as it is also known, is a key reason for delays during the warehouse unloading process. When this occurs, any damaged freight must be segregated and the remaining cargo shored up prior to its removal from the container or trailer. To prevent load shift from occurring, each pallet of goods must be protectively wrapped, then securely stacked to avoid damage. At this point, the container itself may additionally be padded to ensure its protection in the event of any load shifting en route.

When the container or trailer arrives at the warehouse dock, operations management, acting on behalf of the carrier and other principals in the supply chain, must remove the seal that was affixed to the exterior of the container and signal the freight unloaders to being their warehouse unloading process. Freight unloading is not a daily process, so many logistics managers and transportation carriers partner with Labor Loop as a third party vendor, to deploy our seasoned, trained, and certified teams to skillfully, safely, and quickly unload the goods. Our teams quickly assess the cargo, and survey for any damaged goods. If any are located, these are isolated, and documented, so an insurance claim can be submitted. The unloading process continues having assessed the types of equipment that must be used. As necessary, large boxes may be removed manually, this is often the case when the cargo is fragile technology equipment. For other loads, many will have been palletized, and these can be unwrapped, and the pallets removed from the container/trailer using ramps and a forklift. The freight unloaders can either place the freight on the warehouse floor for warehouse personnel to move into storage, or, upon request, move the goods by forklift to a designated location in the warehouse.

Our clients know they can rely on Labor Loop to deploy seasoned, efficient, and trained teams to provide optimal warehouse unloading services. Learn more about our team by contacting Labor Loop today!