Archived Unloading the Truck More Efficiently

[Tessa120]

But everyone is giving reasonable explanations. Staff gutted, waiting for vehicles to be emptied so they are available, start time far later than it should, start times for the people who empty those vehicles even later, mandatory stoppage for vendors.

How do you stay quick when modernization took away start and end times during store close hours and took away the teams whose primary job was putting all that stuff on the floor, rather than a "just get to it at some point" task thrown on top of reshop/zone/pog/pricing/vmg/etc on an equally gutted sales staff during peak shopping hours?

And the answers you have is a store who somehow has far more hours than most similar stores and an admittance that you are not adhering to modernization 100%, you're ignoring the inefficient parts, which is an option other stores don't have. They have to adhere to the inefficient backroom modernization features.

 

[CrosstrainInsane]

Issue for us in food is a combo of payroll (mostly) and staggered scheduling. I have 3 TMs for dry. 7am-1130am, 9am-130pm, 10am-230pm. When payroll allows, opener has full shift, 10am TM has full shift as well.

 

[No I in Team]

What the hell are the teams in this thread doing with their unloads?

I know most stores have slowed down their unloads with modernization but the times you all are giving for the past are absolutely nuts...

My last store we would do a single of any size, including 2800, in ONE HOUR. If it were a double with two huge trucks it would take a max of 2.5 hours total.

Your leaders absolutely suck ass if they were running 3 hour unloads on single trucks, LMAO.

My magic wand is all out of pixie dust. I got nothing.

The math just does not work on a 2800 piece truck in an hour. Nor would it on two fully loaded doubles.

Your thrower would be throwing roughly 46.67 pieces per minute (2800/60)or .79 box per second (46.67/60) without stopping on a 2800 piece truck. Who pulls off pallets? Who brings up the line when you need additional sections? It couldn't be any one else because they wouldn't have time.

Then we have the time it takes to pick it up and sort to custom block. If we held all things consistent, the rate would be the same as the thrower, 46.67/minute. Divide it by the four on the line and your still moving freight at 11.67 cartons per minute.

Here's where it would get real interesting, the time allowed to sort to the custom blocks.

Let's use 70 custom blocks as an example. You would have to sort at a rate of 11.67 cartons/minute to 70 custom block locations. You would have about .86 seconds/carton to decide and load it to the correct vehicle. Here's hoping for multiple cartons to the same block.

I would love to see a manual sort consisting of four (4) team members sorting 11.67 cartons a minute to 70 random different locations spread out over about 100 feet (two sides) in one minute. Even better, try it in our set up. Of course that doesn't include sorting the repacks.

What about the travel time on the line itself? Remember, the amount of time a carton stays on the line is exponentially longer as the thrower works their way further into the truck. How in the world is that time made up?

With team members unloading at a rate 11.67 cartons/minute, who has the time to push the freight down the line?

I am not even including turn around time in between the line and the vehicle during sort and/or exchanging out full for empty vehicles.

Your not sorting repacks either on the line during unload like we have to. You simply would not have time to do so.

The more I look at some of these claims of "speed", the more I realize the math does not work when I apply the information given. The more realistic times are from those of us reporting longer unload times.

Your problems lie in the future as you try to replicate the process after attrition and when the economy cycles. Eventually someone will look into what your doing and there goes the payroll.

It's not good business when you have so much variation in support process either.

 

[EchoFoxtrot]

10-12 minutes a panel, take account that you need to add lines and remove pallets and do the math with that. Make sure the unloader uses a step stool to minimize breakage of merch and keep them hydrated. Rotate them out for another unloader half way for more stamina in the truck. Etc etc. Just my observations. I've only worked truck, never ran it.

 

[Not My Name]

My magic wand is all out of pixie dust. I got nothing.

The math just does not work on a 2800 piece truck in an hour. Nor would it on two fully loaded doubles.

Your thrower would be throwing roughly 46.67 pieces per minute (2800/60)or .79 box per second (46.67/60) without stopping on a 2800 piece truck. Who pulls off pallets? Who brings up the line when you need additional sections? It couldn't be any one else because they wouldn't have time.

Then we have the time it takes to pick it up and sort to custom block. If we held all things consistent, the rate would be the same as the thrower, 46.67/minute. Divide it by the four on the line and your still moving freight at 11.67 cartons per minute.

Here's where it would get real interesting, the time allowed to sort to the custom blocks.

Let's use 70 custom blocks as an example. You would have to sort at a rate of 11.67 cartons/minute to 70 custom block locations. You would have about .86 seconds/carton to decide and load it to the correct vehicle. Here's hoping for multiple cartons to the same block.

I would love to see a manual sort consisting of four (4) team members sorting 11.67 cartons a minute to 70 random different locations spread out over about 100 feet (two sides) in one minute. Even better, try it in our set up. Of course that doesn't include sorting the repacks.

What about the travel time on the line itself? Remember, the amount of time a carton stays on the line is exponentially longer as the thrower works their way further into the truck. How in the world is that time made up?

With team members unloading at a rate 11.67 cartons/minute, who has the time to push the freight down the line?

I am not even including turn around time in between the line and the vehicle during sort and/or exchanging out full for empty vehicles.

Your not sorting repacks either on the line during unload like we have to. You simply would not have time to do so.

The more I look at some of these claims of "speed", the more I realize the math does not work when I apply the information given. The more realistic times are from those of us reporting longer unload times.

Your problems lie in the future as you try to replicate the process after attrition and when the economy cycles. Eventually someone will look into what your doing and there goes the payroll.

It's not good business when you have so much variation in support process either.

lol, I didn't make it up. We did it regularly before I quit that store. Myself and the team leader would unload quite a bit in the 30 minutes before the team even got there. Then we would pull the pallets off the truck while the team never stops shooting stuff down the line. It happened. All the time. It's possible.

I'm not saying with modernization's setup... I'm saying with the old setup. Numerous people are citing super slow unload times from YEARS ago in this thread... before modernization was even a thought.

If you didn't have enough people on the line or your custom blocks weren't optimized for your store's freight levels based on department, of course you're going to struggle, but no matter what size truck, they never should have taken 3 or 4 hours to unload years ago.

And by the way... with 1 thrower... and 3 people total on the line... me being one of them... I had a team that could do 2800 in 2 hours with just us 4. Well, technically 5 as I'd need 1 pulling pallets. You're talking about some hustlers though, baby! That shit ain't normal.

 

[InboundGrunt]

My last store we would do a single of any size, including 2800, in ONE HOUR. If it were a double with two huge trucks it would take a max of 2.5 hours total.

...and the fish I caught was *stretches out arms* THIS BIG!!!

Listen, I don't doubt stores out there were capable of this type of thing pre-modernization. There is enough variation in store layouts, leadership and veteran team compositions at heavy volume stores that outliers exist. However, I don't think what you're describing is possible at a vast majority of stores especially with modernization. We've already heard allnew2 admit they don't have to deal with most of the bigger modernization snags and have a small army to knock out freight with a big head start before the store even opens. It takes a special blend of several beneficial variables to make that type of thing work. Most of us don't have those things in our favor or get those kind of hours.

Essentially you're bragging about your car going 0 to 60 in under 3 seconds. That's great, but just realize your car is quite rare and the rest of us are driving 1992 Ford Tauruses. It isn't from a lack of effort that we can't match your speed, ya dig?

Your thrower would be throwing roughly 46.67 pieces per minute (2800/60)or .79 box per second (46.67/60) without stopping on a 2800 piece truck. Who pulls off pallets? Who brings up the line when you need additional sections? It couldn't be any one else because they wouldn't have time.

Back in the day with 2 unloaders, a dedicated pusher, a section of automated conveyor and a fully staffed line (10+ TMs), we could do a 2300 in an hour and 10 mins. Maybe shave off 5 minutes if it's low on pallets. That was with the line essentially full start to finish. My store's backroom has a couple of particular bugaboos that hardcap how quickly we can unload, but that was our max on our best day. Still a far cry from 2800/60 mins.

Now we have half as many people, 1 unloader and usually no pusher. Vehicles are a constant issue. It's really not surprising things are taking 2-3x as long at my store. Most days we're lucky to have more than 3 TMs on the line. 😩

 

[allnew2]

No one has electric skates?

 

[fun at target]

My store has a 3:30a tms who sets the line and by the time the rest of the team arrives everything must be ready and the unload must be started and the rule is we dont get 1st break until were done.
We have 1 tm in the truck and 3 on front and 1 in back are trucks take on average 2hr for anything above 2100.
The team is also flow vets so there very trained and speed oriented

 

[FriedTL]

No one has electric skates?

We don't

 

[ShortTM]

Do you all also do a sub-sort of the custom block? So let's say block 62 is for aisles E1 (top shelf), E2 (middle) and E3 (lower). Do you have have to sort the shelves by location within the aisle from front to back?

 

[ShortTM]

Also, for all the throwers out there, does your back ever start to hurt during the unload? If so, what do you do to reduce the pain?

 

[allnew2]

Do you all also do a sub-sort of the custom block? So let's say block 62 is for aisles E1 (top shelf), E2 (middle) and E3 (lower). Do you have have to sort the shelves by location within the aisle from front to back?

Yes it’s how it is at my store . And I have a secondary sort for repacks too where it gets broken down by aisle on metro racks

 

[allnew2]

Also, for all the throwers out there, does your back ever start to hurt during the unload? If so, what do you do to reduce the pain?

You don’t have a back brace? I gave one each to the unloaders. I have 3 unloaders they alternate when they throw it on a Monday for example and doesn’t have to do it until Thursday again.

 

[InboundGrunt]

Do you all also do a sub-sort of the custom block? So let's say block 62 is for aisles E1 (top shelf), E2 (middle) and E3 (lower). Do you have have to sort the shelves by location within the aisle from front to back?

Yes. Keep in mind that sometimes it is an impossible task. Sometimes it only takes one or two boxes fill an entire shelf, especially in toys or seasonal.

Many times I'm better off filling uboats based on room available because we start the truck without enough vehicles anyway. The very *special* individual who came in and redid our custom blocks and aisle assignments for each shelf did a rather poor job, as well.

Also, for all the throwers out there, does your back ever start to hurt during the unload? If so, what do you do to reduce the pain?

A back brace and proper form are your mostly likely salvation. Bend dem knees. I've been lucky to not have any back issues after many years.

The truth is, throwing is just hard on the human body, full stop. Back, shoulders, elbows, knees, etc. Throwers that have zero pain are either super lucky, young or just haven't been doing it long enough.

 

[speedy]

We heard from others today that our TL said that our unload is "too slow." We start at 6. We have 1 thrower, who throws the entire truck regardless of size, and three people on the line, one on each side, and the 3rd person runs back and forth between both sides as well as "other places" (HBA, Cosmetics, Softlines, + transition for those) off the actual line that we use for the process. We have no one to push the line. We have 1 person sorting softlines for z-rack or metro rack placement.

TM #1 does not have repacks to break out. TM #2 breaks out the #3s, 4's and 6's, and TM #3 works both sides of the line, breaks out the combos, helps with the #6's or #30-31's. pulls the shoes out of the softlines boxes (except men's), places the cosmetics and HBA repacks on pallets in an organized way so that the DBO's can easily take what they need without digging.

Our u-boats are custom blocked and by small aisle blocks, and we are required to break out all of the repacks. As of late, it has seemed to take longer and I am guessing it may be because there are 50+ #6 repacks every day and they all are mixed with party, office and one spot. They sort one box for 2 aisles so there are a lot of repack boxes ending up on flats that have nowhere to go during the unload until 9-10am. All of the TM's on the unload are very experienced people and they sort very well. I am not a DBO of any area per se, but a floater most of the time, and I've cleared U-boats very quickly because of how well everything is sorted.

I do not know what the priority is here? Is it a great sort so that the freight and repacks can be worked very quickly on the floor? Or is a fast unload with not as good as a sort the priority at this point. I'm not sure that you can have both, but if that is possible, how is that accomplished?

 

[allnew2]

but if that is possible, how is that accomplished?

Right schedule for gm

 

[ShortTM]

You don’t have a back brace? I gave one each to the unloaders. I have 3 unloaders they alternate when they throw it on a Monday for example and doesn’t have to do it until Thursday again.

When I was regularly throwing a truck a had to but my own brace. Also bought my own gloves since the cardboard made my hands so dry during the winter. The people who unload now I don't think have a brace. If they do then I believe they bought it. I wish my TL gave unloader proper equipment

 

[allnew2]

When I was regularly throwing a truck a had to but my own brace. Also bought my own gloves since the cardboard made my hands so dry during the winter. The people who unload now I don't think have a brace. If they do then I believe they bought it. I wish my TL gave unloader proper equipment

I honestly take care of my unloaders, the have back braces , gloves, fan in the truck and water or Gatorade during the unload .

 

[SprooseMoose]

There is just so much here... I don't know where to start... I'm still new to this but still.

We are low volume. Opening TL comes in at 6. Inbound 6:30. DBO's start coming in at 7:30, although after this week/today, that's probably going to change to 8 or later. P2 comes in for mids starting at 11 usually, or closing. We have 1 person for market, total. Our dbo's, minus market, usually have 4-5 hour shifts. There are about 5 p1 dbo's and 2-3 p2 dbo's. Inbound has 4-4.5 hour shifts. Usually have 1 thrower, 2 on front side, 1 on backside/pushing line, and 1 on the end of the backside doing bulk, repack sorting, and everything else. Our custom blocks are shot to shit because they haven't been updated in forever, so no vehicles even have the placards on them anymore. Our steel is still set too low, so we can't store full vehicles under the steel. We are always missing vehicles, I think we are just straight up short on vehicles. We end up using pallets for stuff that should go on flats. So trying to fix the big problem areas with BTS and everything else isn't working.

We have a small backroom. We have the moveable backroom aisles, so that should tell you how little space we are working with. Our line ends into one of above mentioned aisles. Our A&A break out is done at the end of recieving (diagonally back and away from p2 side). We only have 3 docks but are about to be forced into using the middle dock for a while. We have no place to store bails or pallets between sweeps, so the only thing we can do is put them outside which we aren't supposed to do. All of our steel is full, all the way to the top, with bts/btc, plastics, furniture and paper. Between the dock plate and the line, maybe 1 pallet can fit, space wise. I've seen other stores and they have like 2-3x that space.

We aren't allowed to have water or Gatorade, even in the back. I don't enforce that but it gets enforced by others. Our bigger trucks have been 1800-2100 since I started. We failed to get a 1800 unloaded before shifts ended last week, with no hours to extend because we have overspent drastically in BTS/BTC... which still isn't set and pushed. It is all technically set, but only about 15% of the product is on the shelves. The rest is wrapped in pallets in the steel because we don't have time or people to work them.

Inbound/GM hours have been getting cut more and more each week. I don't understand how we are supposed to succeed. Our OPU TM is also a DBO and does auto fills for the areas that don't come in before 11.

There's so much more that I just don't have the time or mental capacity tonight to list them all out.....

 

[CsideMaster]

You don’t have a back brace? I gave one each to the unloaders. I have 3 unloaders they alternate when they throw it on a Monday for example and doesn’t have to do it until Thursday again.

No we aren’t given any back braces and we have the same thrower Tuesday-Saturday.

 

[CsideMaster]

I honestly take care of my unloaders, the have back braces , gloves, fan in the truck and water or Gatorade during the unload .

I wish leadership at my store cared as much as you do. When i first started at target they even had us stretch before we began to unload, now it’s get right to work

 

[allnew2]

I wish leadership at my store cared as much as you do. When i first started at target they even had us stretch before we began to unload, now it’s get right to work

The team works as much as the leadership shows appreciation and works just as hard and even harder . They do stretch . And if they want a bathroom break I’m gonna f$&& give it to them .

 

[CsideMaster]

The team works as much as the leadership shows appreciation and works just as hard and even harder . They do stretch . And if they want a bathroom break I’m gonna f$&& give it to them .

Lol when someone asks for a bathroom break, we get it, but it is accompanied by a roll of the eyes and a “hurry up and make it quick we’re gonna lose time now.”

 

[allnew2]

Lol when someone asks for a bathroom break, we get it, but it is accompanied by a roll of the eyes and a “hurry up and make it quick we’re gonna lose time now.”

I have options , I can throw it while he pees lol

 

[No I in Team]

"Not My Name, post: 533008, member: 24392"

lol, I didn't make it up. We did it regularly before I quit that store. Myself and the team leader would unload quite a bit in the 30 minutes before the team even got there. Then we would pull the pallets off the truck while the team never stops shooting stuff down the line. It happened. All the time. It's possible.

I'm not saying with modernization's setup... I'm saying with the old setup. Numerous people are citing super slow unload times from YEARS ago in this thread... before modernization was even a thought.

Oh yeah, the good old days. I believe all of us would rather unload the old way given the problems we're having now..

If you didn't have enough people on the line or your custom blocks weren't optimized for your store's freight levels based on department, of course you're going to struggle, but no matter what size truck, they never should have taken 3 or 4 hours to unload years ago.

We never struggled years ago like we do now. As thing was phased in, you could just see the unload getting longer and longer.

And by the way... with 1 thrower... and 3 people total on the line... me being one of them... I had a team that could do 2800 in 2 hours with just us 4. Well, technically 5 as I'd need 1 pulling pallets. You're talking about some hustlers though, baby! That shit ain't nor

We unloaded a 1300 piece tuck in just a little over an hour by a few minutes short handed. But it was a rare truck load that almost seemed optimized. We haven't come remotely close since.