Shipping Container Unloading Equipment in 2024: A Comparative Analysis of The Best Technical Solutions

Logistics

In 2022, global parcel shipping volume amounted to over 161 billion parcels. This volume is expected to skyrocket to 256 billion parcels by 2027, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 59%. Whilst the prospect of industry growth may be appealing, the reality for individual companies is often quite different. Increasing pressures and expectations from buyers, coupled with labour shortages, make the forecasted growth in conjunction with the existing pain points within the industry problematic. If not managed properly, this growth could be hampered by bottlenecks in the industry like loading and unloading containers. In this article, we’ve compared the best shipping container unloading equipment available in 2024.

Technology has always been the go to for logistic companies looking to avoid being overwhelmed and eventually outrun by competitors.

The Evolving Landscape of Client Expectations

Warehouse workers sorting boxes into cages for further transport. - Shipping Container unloading equipment

Next-day and same-day delivery options have revolutionized shopping habits, combining the convenience of online retail with the immediacy of physical stores. Major logistics providers like DHL, DPD, FedEx, and UPS are now implementing new models for same-day delivery. With the strong appeal of next-day delivery to consumers, demand is projected to rise significantly. Efficient shipping and logistics are crucial components of eCommerce, playing a pivotal role in influencing consumer purchasing decisions.

In Statista’s 2023 Top Shop survey asking US consumers about their eCommerce shipping preferences, it was clear that the B2C express market (same-day and next-day delivery) were clear winners. France and the UK is expected to reach 1.2 billion parcels in 2023 and 1.9 billion parcels in 2027. Similar demands are expected from B2B. Same-day delivery is expected to grow from 70 million parcels in 2022 to between 260-521 million parcels by 2027.

Shipping Container Unloading Equipment: Solutions on the Market in 2024

The TAWI team has surveyed two leading options in the shipping container unloading sector to assess what’s available and see how they stack up against our own shipping container unloading equipment.

Boston Dynamics

Boston Dynamics’ product, Stretch, is a mobile robot designed to automate case handling and other warehouse tasks. Here are its strengths and weaknesses:

Strengths:
  • Continuous operation: Stretch can work continuously through single or multiple shifts at any time of day or night.
  • Versatility: Stretch can handle a wide range of package types and sizes, from standard brown to highly graphical.
  • Autonomous operation: Stretch’s advanced vision system allows it to detect and automatically retrieve any boxes that shift and fall whilst unloading, so it can keep going without operator intervention.
Weaknesses:
  • Cost: Whilst the exact cost is not mentioned, high-tech solutions like Stretch often come with a significant price tag, which might be a barrier for some businesses.
  • Dependence on technology: As with any technology-dependent solution, there may be potential issues related to software glitches, hardware malfunctions, or other technical problems. This is worsened as their solution is fully automated, meaning total disruption of work.
  • Capacity: Unlike other solutions on the market, Stretch only lifts up to 50 lbs, a relatively small weight which could be limiting.
  • Deployment: Stretch requires a few days of installation which could have an impact on your facility’s operations.

Slip Robotics

Slip Robotics offers licensed robots-as-a-service that empower people to auto-load and unload any truck in 5 minutes.

Strengths:
  • Speed and Efficiency: Slip Robotics’ automated loading robots (ALRs) can load and unload any truck in just 5 minutes, driving 10x speed, throughput and safety across the supply chain.
  • Safety: The use of SlipBots eliminates the need for people or forklifts inside trailers, increasing safety.
  • Savings: SlipBots can cut idle time, freight damage, trailers and docks, leading to cost savings.
  • Ease of Use: SlipBots work upon arrival at any dock, with zero Wi-Fi or IT integration required. They can be controlled with a simple click of a button.
Weaknesses:
  • Dependence on Technology: Just as with Boston Dynamics, a complete reliance on automated solutions raises the risk of an inoperable warehouse if issues related to software glitches, hardware malfunctions or other technical problems occur. Further to this, the replacement of people with robots might frame your business in a negative light as it would mean job loss for many. Whilst an employee will operate the slip controller that commands robots, it doesn’t require skilled laborer’s, further exacerbating the shortage of skilled workers in the future.
  • Training and Adaptation: Whilst SlipBots are designed to be user-friendly, there may still be a learning curve for operators to adapt to the new technology, requiring a whole different set of skills from what current employees have.
  • Limited capabilities: The SlipBot only takes palletized stock out of lorries.
  • Limited use cases: The SlipBot solution has to travel with your cargo in the shipping container which means it only really remains a valid solution if the containers remain in a closed system at all times.
  • Critically, it doesn’t address concerns about lifting and human wear. Ultimately, the SlipBot still needs to be loaded and unloaded itself.

Although Boston Dynamics’ Stretch and Slip Robotics’ SlipBots offer innovative solutions, TAWI’s container unloading equipment provides a much more versatile and adaptable solution. TAWI’s solutions are designed to handle a wide range of goods, improving efficiency and safety in various operations such as unloading containers and sortation.

TAWI: The Best All-Round Shipping Container Unloading Equipment

Our range of solutions addresses more comprehensively the pain points within the logistics sector and goes beyond the first step of unloading and loading containers. We understand the challenges and are helping prepare companies for anticipated pressures and setting them up to thrive in the face of industry growth.

While we offer a variety of solutions for broader logistics and warehousing issues, let’s concentrate on our direct comparison solution.

Shipping Container unloading equipment

TAWI Shipping Container Unloader:

This product is designed to enhance efficiency and safety when unloading containers and during sortation.

The Container Unloader is built to maneuver within the tight confines of trucks and shipping containers, allowing items to be unloaded onto a conveyor belt or a pallet.

With a capacity to lift over twice the weight of Boston Dynamics’ Stretch at 110 lbs, our solution stands out. While Slip Robotics can handle heavier loads, its functionality is limited to moving pallet stock within containers without actually unloading it, essentially functioning as an extremely expensive forklift.

Admittedly, our solution isn’t fully autonomous, and that’s intentional. While some may see this as a drawback, TAWI views it as a strength. A human workforce remains crucial for the smooth and safe operation of these facilities. Our goal is to ergonomically support and enhance the capabilities of people who have already optimized this sector.

Conclusion

As the logistics industry grows exponentially, companies must leverage technology to meet increasing demands and expectations. Our ergonomic approach to lifting supports a workforce to work faster and more efficiently. It’s a tried and tested solution, and our clients can attest to its effectiveness.

If you are interested in levelling up container unloading flexibility, productivity and employee health, get in touch with our team.

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