SCALING LAST-MILE DELIVERY EFFICIENCY
A leading retailer faced the challenge of scaling last-mile delivery to meet surging e-commerce demand while maintaining cost efficiency.
By installing Dockzilla’s Universal Height Ramps (UHRs) across multiple retail locations, the retailer transformed its stores into versatile fulfillment hubs, streamlining operations and enhancing customer experience.
Results at a Glance:
- Created multiuse docks for fleet versatility
- Simple retrofit versus major building expansion project
- Increased throughput and speed to process more deliveries per shift
With e-commerce accounting for ~20% of U.S. sales, the retailer needed to enhance last-mile delivery capacity to meet customer expectations for faster and more affordable order fulfillment. Key challenges included:
- Double Duty: Double-digit online sales growth required stores to double as fulfillment hubs, handling both in-store and online orders.
- Diverse Fleets: The retailer’s mix of delivery vans and larger OTR trailers demanded flexible dock solutions to avoid bottlenecks.
- Competitive Pressure: Meeting demand for same-day or next-day delivery, standard among competitors required faster turnaround times.
Traditional docks couldn’t handle the variety of vehicles efficiently, and manual ramps slowed operations, risking delays and higher costs.
The Solution
Driving Omnichannel Expansion with Loading Dock Versatility
Dockzilla’s loading dock engineers assessed each retailer location to develop customized plans to expand last mile operations.
Retrofit Existing Docks
Installed Dockzilla’s Universal Height Ramps on existing dock doors, enabling seamless retrofitting without the costly downtime or structural building changes.
Supports Store-as-Fulfillment Model
The retailer integrated Dockzilla’s Universal Height Ramps into its store-as-warehouse model, enabling ergonomic, push-button loading to increase home delivery capacity.
Maximizes Dock Doors
The Universal Height Ramp design allows both standard height trailers and vans to use the same dock door for maximum fleet versatility.
The Results
Multiuse Docks for Fleet Versatility
Over-the-road (OTR) trailers and last-mile delivery vans can now be serviced at the same dock doors, minimizing vehicle queuing and optimizing routes.
Fast, Cost Efficient Expansion
The retailer added extreme versatility to its docks with a one-day retrofit. The Universal Height Ramps require no construction or structural changes to the building.
Increased Throughput & Speed
Elevating delivery vans to dock height streamlines loading by reducing redundancies, boosting throughput, and enhancing employee safety.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR LOADING CHALLENGE
Talk with an engineer who will offer a solution. To get started, fill out the form, or call 1.800.637.3036.
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