Man at S&S Activewear unloading truck with TAWI container unloader

Transforming Truck Unloading at S&S Activewear

After a 3 month trial of utilising the TAWI Container Unloader in their operations, S&S added Container Unloaders to 7 more distribution centers.

Man at S&S Activewear unloading truck with TAWI container unloader
The job is easier for me, using the equipment from TAWI. Now I can unload 2-3 trucks without getting tired.

Harry

Truck Unloader

Transforming Truck Unloading at S&S Activewear

In the fast-paced world of logistics, truck unloading and moving products around a warehouse quickly and efficiently – is critical. S&S in North America understands this as they have 12 large distribution centres. Their 370 000 square meter of warehouse space is used to house their products for the imprintable apparel and uniform market.

Efficiently unloading trucks and shipping containers is an essential part of their operations. There can be 600 to 1,500 cases to unload per truck, depending on the size of the boxes. With workers unloading multiple trucks a day, workers lift around 7,000 to 9,000 cases a day. That number increases in the summer to around 13,000 to 14,000 cases a day.

Two men unloading boxes from conveyor belt to pallets

Operational challenges of truck unloading

  • Safety and ergonomic concerns: When manually unloading trucks, employees suffered from back aches, soreness, and exhaustion at the end of their shift. It was strenuous to lift cases from the top levels of the packed truck and to bend over to lift cases from the bottom levels. Plus, there were safety concerns when cases would fall down during the unloading process.
  • Recruitment and retention: Unloading trucks is physically demanding work that can be difficult to do for a long period of time. This makes it challenging to hire new people and retain them for manual lifting tasks.
  • Variety of products and places to lift: Trucks are fully loaded with cases of different sizes and different weights from 5-30 kg that need to be sorted and moved. Also, lifting boxes happens at different places in the facility, so a flexible, mobile lifting solution is needed to handle the variety in boxes and locations.

Improving Operations and Safety with TAWI Solutions

S&S wanted to improve ergonomics, provide a safer environment for employees, and modernise their processes with automation. Adam Kranich, Assistant Operations Manager at S&S, said the goal is to

“Provide an environment in which you can come – give an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.”

Since working with TAWI to find the right solution, S&S’s operations now utilise TAWI’s Container Unloader on their receiving dock and TAWI’s High Frequency Portable Jibs in their restock department.

Key Efficiency Benefits:

  1. Easier to unload trucks: With the Container Unloader’s platform that can be raised and lowered, it is much easier for employees to unload boxes at all levels of a truck. The integrated vacuum lifter can lift boxes of different sizes and weight to assist with the wide variety of products arriving each day, and it’s quick and easy to learn how to operate it.
  2. Improved safety and ergonomics: The integrated vacuum lift assist takes the full weight of the load. This means employees can unload trucks without physical strain and exhaustion for a much safer work experience. It proves especially beneficial when employees are required to lift items outside of their power zone or items that are heavy.
  3. Increased employee flexibility: S&S has a diverse group of employees with a wide variety of ages and abilities. The strength requirements to unload a truck are removed when using the Container Unloader. Now, there is more flexibility about who can fulfill that job function, and many employees strongly prefer to work at a dock with the Container Unloader than a dock without.

Man using TAWI container unloader for truck unloading

Results: Improved Truck Unloading and Safety

After a 3 month trial of utilising the TAWI Container Unloader in their operations, S&S added Container Unloaders to 7 more distribution centers. The employees who use the equipment and managers are excited about how TAWI has improved their operations.

Kenneth Alexander, a decanter at S&S, values how TAWI helps ensure the longevity of workers and their safety. Kenneth said,

“I believe it should be something that is a part of the PPE for any warehouse, so I would highly recommend TAWI to anyone.”

Also, Keziah Logan, inbound manager at S&S said,

“You should consider having a TAWI Unloader in your facility because it boosts morale for your employees as well as makes their jobs safer.” She also mentioned, “I would have to rate the training and the support that we got from TAWI as top notch.”

By adding TAWI lifting solutions into their operations, S&S can ensure a productive, safe environment for their employees.

Interested in how TAWI can help boost efficiency in your warehouse? Reach out to our team today.

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