• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2017

The dynamic nature of mechanization and automation to improve productivity and safety within logistics centers, has necessitated various studies to support efficient and safe working conditions for workers. However, accidents in the loading dock occur frequently as workers and forklift trucks operate within the same space. This research introduces cargo batch loading and unloading systems, which enable increasing productivity and safety through the use of mechanization and automation in the loading dock. To assist efficient operation of this new system, four pieces of general-purpose equipment or three pieces of dedicated equipment are deemed to be essential. Moreover, the floor area of the loading dock is designed to accommodate $256.28m^2$ and $207.00m^2$ for the general-purpose and dedicated systems respectively, in addition to the space allocated for equipment and additional space. The design of the loading dock considers the area of the loading dock as well as the cargo batch loading and unloading systems. Economic analysis, such as NPV, IRR, and PBT, were conducted in addition to sensitivity analysis on key variables.