For a specialty shipper like Holland Special Delivery, being in the right place means finding a location that positions it strategically to reach the most customers. Using versatile loading dock equipment, including the LoadHog Modular Dock Bridge, helped Holland get a new terminal in the right place and operational, quickly.

An important segment of Holland's LTL business is furniture. About eight years ago it expanded its shipping territory by working from a facility in northwestern Indiana, which allowed them to handle the Chicago area and into Illinois, Wisconsin, and northwest Indiana. Eventually the company settled into a new location in Munster.

While Holland was considering a location owned by Hartrich Construction, LoadHog representative Barry Grubb with Ameridock Systems of Woodstock, GA approached Bob Thompson of Hartrich about trying the new LoadHog Modular Dock Bridge for truck access.

Designed to span the gap between dock and truck, the LoadHog does not require a concrete pit, making installation much quicker and easier than for traditional pit levelers. As project manager for the renovation, Thompson immediately recognized the LoadHog's money-saving benefits.

"We were looking at doing additional work on this project to accommodate the Holland operation," recalled Thompson, "and certainly we were open to cutting down on some of it."

Reconfiguring the Facility

The facility formerly housed an ambulance terminal, which had just two doors -- each at opposite ends of the building -- so the ambulance could enter and leave the building in a straight shot.

"A shipping operation such as Holland's was going to need more doors, so along with cutting holes in the walls to make five dock doorways," notes Thompson, "we also had to move some earth to extend the approach for the trucks. With a shipping company moving in we were anticipating the job of cutting concrete pits for the dock levelers these businesses typically have to use."

Thompson liked LoadHog's easy installation and discussed the new approach with Holland to assure its agreement. The unit simply mounts to the floor using four anchor bolts, with each bumper mounting to the dock wall using four anchor bolts each. This is an advantage for a developer that can see a changing series of tenants in a facility. For the LoadHog, no recessed concrete pit is required as with many standard design dock levelers. No pit, no pour, no problem!

Jim McCuaig, terminal manager at Holland's Munster facility, has had much experience dealing with truck access.

"At our other locations we have had dock plates, mechanical levelers, and pneumatic levelers -- I've had them all."

The Munster facility is active, handling many shipments a day, which are loaded into the trucks using hand carts, pallet jacks, or powered forklifts. Inventory typically turns over every 24-48 hours. While dock plates or levelers could handle these loads, the LoadHog has advantages they don't offer. Because it is attached to the floor, the LoadHog has much greater stability than dock plates, which can shift around from the force of forklifts driving over them.

Safety Features Enhance New System

"Because the LoadHog does not slide around," points out McCuaig, "the operation is much safer for the forklift driver." He also likes the extra protection provided by the side rails on either side of the LoadHog ramp. The rails provide strength for the ramp, contributing to its load capacity of 15,000 lb gross vehicle weight -- very adequate for the furniture shipments handled here.

Lowering and storing the LoadHog is also easy, as it has fewer pinch points than dock plates and a much more ergonomic operation. Once the trailer is positioned and the dock door is raised, a step on the release pedal and a slight push causes the vertically stored unit to gently descend until the lip is resting on the trailer bed. There's no bending over to pull release chains, as with mechanical pit levelers.

The LoadHog's lip projection is similar to a traditional 18 in. dock leveler lip to handle a variety of trucks. A 4-in. side-to-side tilt accommodates uneven trailers. In addition, the LoadHog has a working range of 8 in. above and 6 in. below dock level to accommodate different height trucks.

A security latch engages the spring counterbalance mechanism to ensure that the bridge remains downwardly biased. When the truck is ready to pull out, approximately 38 lb of physical force on the operating handle raises the dock to its stored and locked vertical position.

Because the LoadHog stores vertically, it provides a vertical barrier to guard against collision damage that commonly happens from forklifts in a busy facility. McCuaig also notes that with the LoadHog locked in the upright position, he does not have to worry about forklifts accidentally going off the dock.

Vertical storage also enables the door to close tight against the floor, providing protection at the bottom of the doorway against energy loss or the intrusion of cold winter air. When upright, the LoadHogs take up minimal floor space.

Along with saving expenses for the building owner, LoadHog helps Holland avoid the maintenance costs associated with mechanical levelers. There are no chains to break and the Holland crew does not have to deal with adjusting numerous moving parts. With only occasional lubrication of the hinge points, LoadHog requires very little maintenance.

The LoadHog has helped the Holland Munster location to meet their shipping schedules. As for facility owner Hartrich, the possibility always exists that a tenant may need to move to another location. When that happens, the developer has the option of leaving the LoadHog in place for the new occupant, or moving these dock bridges to another facility to handle other businesses' needs.