Safety on the loading dock is top priority at Avebe

The manufacturer pays above-average attention to safety. It is therefore logical that it chose Rite-Hite as its partner for the design of the loading docks.

Avebe celebrated its 100th anniversary last year, but starch has been produced in Foxhol since 1841. Founder W.A. Scholten laid the foundation for the multinational here, with factories in the Netherlands, Sweden and Germany. The products, developed in a special Innovation Center, are sold worldwide. In addition to starch products, Avebe also extracts high-quality proteins from the potato.

Loading docks with vehicle locking and special dock levellers

Logistics in Foxhol is under the direction of Eric Raad, Logistics team leader. He explains, "Starch derivatives are mainly produced at this site. We do that on the basis of sales forecasts. The products are partly stored here in two warehouses of 7,000 m² each. The slow-movers go to an external location, so at the production site there are two loading bays from which they are shipped. The derivatives are packed in bags and stacked on pallets. These pallets are placed on the floor in storage aisles, called putting bays. There they wait for the carrier." At the warehouses, two loading bays are available to carriers. While reversing, the trucks are perfectly guided to the loading dock via Rite-Hite's Wheel-Lok system. Once the vehicle is at the dock, an ingenious construction clamps one of the wheels so that the truck is immobilized during loading and unloading. In his rearview mirror, the truck driver sees a red traffic light signaling that he cannot move off. When the loading process is completed, an Avebe employee presses the release button, the light jumps from red to green and the truck can safely drive away. Systems like this are no luxury: there are about 1,700 forklift accidents in the Netherlands every year.

Council continued: "Safety plays an important role at Avebe. For example, upon arrival visitors have to watch an instruction video and take a test. So it is logical that we put extra emphasis on safety features when selecting new equipment for the loading bays. Our old Rite-Hite loading docks were in need of replacement after 15 years. Despite the good relationship, several quotations were requested, as all kinds of new solutions may exist in the meantime. Still, we ended up with Rite-Hite again. It was certainly not just about the price; we were also impressed by the maintenance approach. In case of any breakdown, they are on our doorstep within 24 hours. Since we have to handle 10 to 12 trucks per dock daily, we cannot afford downtime. Rite-Hite understands this like no other."

Jaap Koops, Safety Specialist at Avebe, adds, "Not only the dock leveller system provides more safety. For the dock levellers (the automatic bridge between loading dock and trailer) our choice fell on the version with Safe-T-Lip from Rite-Hite. When the dock leveller is retracted, a 180-mm steel barrier automatically rises vertically onto the loading dock, preventing material handling equipment from driving off. During the decision-making process, the forklift drivers were closely involved. Fall hazard was an important consideration for them."

Innovation at the service of productivity and safety

Rite-Hite supplies dock levellers, vehicle locks and flap shelters at Avebe, but that's just a small sample of the American specialist's wide range of products. In 1965, Rite-Hite started with products for the loading and unloading environment. The revolutionary DOK-Lok® trailer locking system (1980) brought international fame. In 1991, the range was expanded to include industrial doors. Over the years Rite-Hite acquired a solid reputation for safety, quality and innovation.