Customer can tell; What used to take more than 6 to 7 hours manually, we can now complete in just 20 minutes with RollerForks.

Bakker Transport & Warehousing, located in Heerenveen, the Netherlands, recently welcomed a new client that ships approximately 150 40-foot containers to Europe each year. These containers carry a protein-based substance used in various products across the continent. A great contract—but one that comes with a challenge: unloading the containers.

“Planning is often tricky because we don’t always know exactly when the containers will arrive,” says Arjen Hoekstra, Operations Director at Bakker. “Sometimes we only receive notice a day or two in advance. The volume also varies greatly, some weeks we receive four containers, and other weeks as many as nine. That means we need to be extremely flexible with both staff and equipment.”

Manual container unloading is both labor-intensive and expensive. “We know from experience and other logistics providers that manual unloading usually requires three hired workers, who together can only handle two 40-foot containers per day. If a container is delayed, those workers are left waiting, also at a cost. Add to that the waiting time for the driver and penalties from the shipping company when containers aren’t returned on time. On top of that, the physical work is tough,” Hoekstra explains.

Fortunately, most containers now come loaded with goods, such as bagged materials, placed on slip-sheets. These are sturdy cardboard sheets that allow goods to be pulled from the container using a special forklift attachment known as a push/pull. “We’ve been using push/pull systems for years and are quite satisfied with them. They even allow us to unload stacked loads efficiently. However, the attachments are expensive and require proper training to operate. If not used carefully, they can cause damage, which leads to additional maintenance and repair costs.”

During the pre-analysis for this new client, it became clear that the goods were also placed on slip-sheets, but this time on container-wide slip-sheets. Standard slip-sheets are about 1000 mm wide, which allows two packages side by side. In this case, the sheets were 2000 mm wide, making our current push/pull system unusable. “We considered a dual push/pull solution, but those are extremely expensive and even more vulnerable to forklift operator errors.”

Fortunately, the protein manufacturer pointed us to RollerForks®, forklift forks with two layers of rollers, one on top of the other. “It’s a brilliantly simple and purely mechanical concept that requires hardly any maintenance. Unlike push/pull systems, which rely on hinges, hydraulic cylinders, and hoses, all prone to leakage, RollerForks are virtually maintenance-free.”

After a brief search, Bakker discovered that RollerForks are made by Meijer Handling Solutions, a manufacturer located just around the corner, also in Friesland. Through Meijer’s dealer Griptech B.V., Bakker purchased two sets of RollerForks, including a wider fork carriage. Each set lifts one package, allowing four packages to be removed from the container simultaneously. “What used to take more than 6 to 7 hours manually, we now complete in just 20 minutes.”

“Our logistics supervisor Colin, who’s been with us for five years, handles the containers effortlessly, but honestly, anyone can use the RollerForks. Operating them is incredibly easy. You tilt the forks slightly forward, slide the tip under the load, and lower the forks. As the forks hinge downward, all the rollers make contact with the floor and easily slide under the slip-sheet. The rollers spin in opposite directions, keeping the load stationary while the forks move underneath. After unloading, the goods are placed in our receiving hall. The forks are lowered, and the forklift simply reverses, rolling the goods off smoothly.”

How easy can it get? Thanks to the RollerForks, we’ve made significant savings on both equipment and labor. Their simplicity makes them the perfect tool for loading and unloading goods on slip-sheets—directly from the container floor or warehouse. For this specific application, we highly recommend them.