woodman`s markets - Rite-Hite

WOODMAN’S MARKETS
CASE STUDY
QUICK FACTS
COMPANY: Woodman’s Markets; Janesville, Wis.
FOUNDED: 1919
FACILITY: 230,000-square-foot grocery warehouse
in Beloit, Wis.
PRODUCT:40 truckloads of grocery products are
shipped/received daily
GOALS: Increase safety at eight loading dock bays in the Beloit facility while
improving overall efficiencies
SOLUTION: R
ite-Hite Dok-Lok® Vehicle Restraints with the Rite-Vu™ Light
Communication System
RESULTS: The Rite-Vu system enables forklift operators to see when it is safe to
enter and exit a trailer, avoiding unnecessary mistakes and injuries. In
addition, Woodman’s Markets has realized savings when it comes to
staffing and resource costs because workers no longer have to leave
the facility to check trailer restraint status.
THE SITUATION
Woodman’s Markets is an employee-owned supermarket chain with
15 locations from metro Chicago to Green Bay. One of the nation’s
largest independent supermarket chains, Woodman’s stores are large
warehouse-style facilities ranging from 200,000 to 250,000 square
feet in size. These retail facilities are served by two distribution
centers, including a 230,000-square-foot warehouse in Beloit, Wis.
To keep up with a steady growth in shipping/receiving traffic, the
Beloit warehouse recently underwent a substantial renovation and
expansion. In addition to increasing space to handle 40 truckloads a
day, Woodman’s management saw the expansion as an opportunity
to upgrade the facility’s safety procedures and equipment,
particularly in the loading dock areas.
“Being an employee-owned
company, we naturally want to
support our warehouse employees
with state-of-the-art dock
safety systems.”
- NICK POPP, TRANSPORTATION MANAGER,
WOODMAN’S MARKETS
Corner-Vu lights, which are part of the Rite-Vu Light Communication System, provide dock personnel with a clear view of trailer restraint status, even when pallets are staged next to the loading dock door.
1-888 -841- 4283 RiteHite.com
WOODMAN’S MARKETS
CASE STUDY
THE SOLUTION
After reviewing several approaches, Woodman’s decided to
install Rite-Hite’s RHR-600 Dok-Lok rotating hook restraint
on one dock station for a six-month trial. Dok-Lok vehicle
restraints provide the safest solution against all types of
trailer separation accidents at the loading dock. Dok-Loks
feature a unique hook design that offers the widest reach
around a trailer’s rear impact guard and come standard with
the Rite-Vu Light Communication System.
The Rite-Vu Light Communication System, consisting of
Corner-Vu and Leveler-Vu, gives dock attendants and lift
drivers a line-of-sight indication of the lock status, letting
them know when it is safe to enter or exit a trailer.
“Since there’s no need to stop and
double-check if the trailer is secured,
our lift drivers are more confident and
more efficient. The throughput in this
warehouse is higher than ever.”
- NICK POPP, TRANSPORTATION MANAGER, WOODMAN’S MARKETS
Corner-Vu is located on the upper corners of the interior
dock door and mirrors the status on the Dok-Lok control box,
giving lift truck drivers and dock personnel a clear view of
the lock’s status above obstructions, such as product staged
next to the dock doors or even the forklift’s mast. Green
lights mean the trailer is safely secured to the dock, while red
lights indicate the trailer is not secured and unsafe to enter.
The lights also provide a reference point for the overhead
door opening.
Leveler-Vu, mounted to the back of the dock leveler, shows
the same Dok-Lok status to forklift drivers while they are
inside the trailer. It also provides a reference point for lift
truck operators as they back out of the trailer.
Corner-Vu lights alert a forklift operator when it is safe to enter a trailer.
“We got positive feedback on the system almost immediately,”
said Nick Popp, transportation manager at Woodman’s
Markets. “The forklift drivers, truck drivers and dock workers
all appreciate being able to see the Dok-Lok status so clearly
and easily. It removes a lot of stress on everyone.”
Based on that feedback, Popp decided to permanently
install the Dok-Lok/Rite-Vu system on eight of his 10
dock stations — and he is happy that he did. In addition
to improving safety and peace of mind for workers on
Woodman’s loading docks, he’s found that the new system
has also made them more productive.
This Dok-Lok vehicle restraint installed at Woodman’s provides the safest solution against trailer
separation accidents. It’s unique hook design offers the widest reach around a rear impact guard.
“Since there’s no need to stop and double-check if the trailer
is secured, our lift drivers are more confident and more
efficient,” he noted. “The throughput in this warehouse is
higher than ever.”
1-888 -841- 4283 RiteHite.com
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