Warehouse specialists develop automated truck loading solution

Many warehouses have automated systems for order picking, but at the loading dock where orders are loaded onto trucks, the process is done manually. Forklift maker Jungheinrich, in partnership with automation specialist Navflex, is developing solutions to automate truck loading and unloading, which is one of the last systems in the warehouse that has not been automated.

Many variables make dock automation difficult: various types of trailers, lack of space, variable lighting levels and different load carriers. Up until now, there has been limited progress in developing a system to overcome these barriers.

Jungheinrich AG is developing autonomous vehicles, and Navflex is helping to create the software that enables the machinery to navigate safely in loading areas where humans and vehicles operate. The partner’s automated loading and unloading systems are being tested at various sites in Europe and North America. It is not yet clear if these trials have successfully demonstrated that one of the most complex logistics processes at the loading bay can be handled with little or no human intervention.

This research is part of a general trend to reduce manual work in warehouses and to increase productivity. However, a fully automated warehouse is expensive, with many small-to-medium-sized warehouse operators adopting a more affordable mix of automated and manual systems. For instance, human workers can pick order items using an aisle picking trolley, but automation technology guides them to the exact item location and confirms with packers that they have received the correct order items.

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