Loading and unloading containers happen frequently along a supply chain, from outside your local grocery store to the receiving docks at an airport logistics hub. Vehicles arrive with containers to be unloaded; these often are standard-size 20-foot or 40-foot rigid boxes (TEUs or FEUs) – the type typically seen on cargo ships and large trucks – or also smaller dome-shaped unit load devices (ULDs) that fit into the curved fuselage of airplanes, among many other designs.
Furthermore, contents and handling needs vary greatly, with some containers having goods packed neatly and tightly in standardized boxes and on pallets, while others have a mixture of assorted goods with various shapes, sizes, weights, fragility, and more. It’s always a tough, but necessary, job to unload from one container and reload to another by hand, even with the help of forklifts.
As many in supply chain operations seek digital and automated solutions to improve efficiency, speed, quality, health, and safety…
