How to Turn the Challenges of Loading and Unloading Vehicles into True Hidden Fortunes in the Globalized World!

Have you ever imagined having R$ 14.7 million per month or R$ 132.3 million per year, available in liquidity, in your cash, or in your hands, to invest and improve your process and logistics planning? Come with me because in this article, I will show you or explain how a shipper with 1,200 shipments a day can reach these figures!

In a case of my professional career, still as an executive, I took over the management of a division that generated historical losses, the challenge was to transform it into a business unit, and in a few months we made it one of the most profitable business divisions of the group, what was the big secret to this success? Logistics modeling and times and movements, a part of this planning, I believe the most important, projecting very audacious times in the loading and unloading processes, because there, nothing different from countless companies or shippers in Brazil, the times between arrival of the vehicle, entry for unloading, exit of unloading and release of documentation for the trip, were very high,? And this has a very heavy counterpart, very expensive costs for the operation, since the carrier needs to pass them on. Many times we do not invest in structure, planning, operationality, among others, and it is much more expensive for the company than to change its internal process, investing and restructuring it, even if for full success, part of this savings has to be shared with its partner, the carrier. By way of illustration, numerous shippers, whether they are industries or logistics operators, or even the buyers of the products, that is, the shippers' customers, have loading or unloading times when the vehicles lose a day or more in the complete loading and unloading processes, as mentioned above, and this is expensive.

As an example of these benefits to the previous paragraphs, in one of the numerous cases of the professional career, giving breadth to the benefits of logistics modeling and management, with efficient and effective reduction in the loading and unloading processes, among others, yielded to this group, some results, among them, cargo return to container, a net revenue of R$ 15 million per year,? reversal of the division's historical loss, from a negative EBITDA to 28.4%, representing a financial gain of R$ 216 MM per year, reduction of third-party freight by 20%, which represented a gain of R$ 270 million per year, for the other divisions, increase in the productivity of the company's own fleet significantly, refrigeration 290% (26,500 km/vehicle), container port 112% (26,500 km/vehicle),? cattle herd 167% (17,500 km/vehicle), tallow transport 43.3% (26,500 km/vehicle), sider 70.6% (16,500 km/vehicle), dry cargo 40% (17,500 km/vehicle), sugarcane bagasse 900% (35,000 km/vehicle), roadtrain 26.7% (28,500 km/vehicle), reduction of outsourced hiring in the container segment in the order of R$ 36 million per year.

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Introduction

In the fascinating rhythm of the globalized world, the almost invisible miracle of loading and unloading processes comes to life and stands out as the beating heart of world trade, imagine the ships that majestically tear through the vast oceans, laden with treasures from diverse lands, or the sturdy trucks that wind through the road network, moving essential goods like avatars of a carefully choreographed dance. These processes, although in their essence primitive, as highlighted by Marvin Harris in Cannibals and Kings (1977), are intensely updated by cutting-edge technologies that ensure the continuous and effective flow of goods, this fascinating dynamic, present both in historical literature and in contemporary innovations, symbolizes the realignment of supply chains and the continuous adaptation to economic and environmental challenges.

As we unravel the dense interweaving of machinery, technological systems, and human interventions in loading and unloading processes, a story of ingenuity and innovation is revealed, by William Gibson, famous for his work Neuromancer (1984), where technology and humanity meet in an inevitable symbiosis, we learn how the logic of antiquated processing evolves into agile responses to modern demands,? In their perfect functioning, we see more than just mechanical actions - but a synchronized choreography that moves the world economy, these activities are in day-to-day life, connecting consumers and producers in an intercontinental network of opportunities and discoveries, it is through these processes that the logistics intermediary continuously reinvents itself, revealing innovative strategies for a world in constant transformation.

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In the information age, mastering the art of adaptability has become a strategic imperative to mitigate costs in logistics, as Andy Hunt highlights in Pragmatic Thinking and Learning: Refactor Your Wetware (2008), the key lies in reshaping our thinking frameworks and embracing cognitive agility. London, in its analysis of industrial standards, suggests innovating not only in tools, but also in corporate mindset to face a world in constant transformation, this approach not only reinvigorates processes but also praises the predominantly human role in an increasingly automated and predictable scenario, highlighting a perfect choreography between technology and human instinct.

This knowledge framework not only refines the supply chain, but also inspires organizations to cross the chasm between cost efficiency and sustainability with confidence and dexterity, ensuring that they remain at the forefront of global competitiveness, surprising and delighting customers and stakeholders with every interaction, Zygmunt Bauman, when addressing fluidity in "Liquid Modernity" (2000),? reminds us that successful societies never stop experimenting with new solutions to old problems,

Development

In the detailed chapters on logistics, particularly in the in-depth analysis of Alfred Chandler's The Complex of Business Activity (1977), the decentralization of loading and unloading systems is seen as one of the few constancies in economic history, this seminal book provides concrete insights into the ability of companies to shape and be shaped by technological innovations that bridge distances and overcome cultural barriers,? Through refined logistics structures, they negotiate challenges such as environmental protection and resource optimization, exemplified in the implementation of just-in-time deadlines and process redesigns that minimize unproductive time.

Zygmunt Bauman, in his famous Liquid Modernity (2000), describes a scenario where the fluidity of goods is reflected in the flexibility of transport methods and in a society that adapts quickly to changes in global markets, in his writings, Bauman suggests that understanding this fluidity and adaptability is crucial to efficiently manage complex logistics crossings,? Unpredictability is faced with adjustable logistics strategies, anticipating transformations and continuously reinventing the methods used in the flow of goods, this adaptability is essential to capitalize on opportunities in times of technological transition and volatile economic models.

The importance of loading and unloading processes is also the focus of ?Adam Smith's study The Wealth of Nations (1776), where he models logistics as the main artery of emerging and established economies, and Smith surprisingly envisions logistics under a technological glove – the invisible hand that assists in driving sophisticated economies through trade transformations, his ideas are a harbinger of the modern logistics revolution, with ergonomics and automation continually redefining the incremental and significant oscillation of expanding markets.

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In Marc Levinson's The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger (2006), we find a comprehensive account of the impact that container standardization has brought to traditional shipping methods, dramatizing how a mere steel box transformed jobs, port structures, and distribution networks, its data and analysis expose logistics as the invisible backbone of modern connectivity,? exemplifying how small changes in design can exponentially accelerate the efficiency of loading and unloading processes.

Systems visionaries such as Tim Harford, in Adapt – Why Success Always Starts with Failure (2011), argue that loading and unloading processes are at the forefront of effective pragmatism versus innovation resulting from error, their discussion transcending business spheres, underlining the restart that occurs in response to systematic, physiologically reflexive failures of unforeseen complexities in logistics, ?Through the conceptual barter angle, Harford emphasizes how fault processing can catalyze advances in the logistical over-information of cargo weighing on the inflection point of world demand.

Adapting to thrive, as Richard Sennett details in The Craftsman (2008), entails transforming the automatism of old processes into a chain of conscientious actions that truly reflect the complexity of contemporary commerce, Sennett documents the significant contributions of skilled human participation in automatic processes, translating tradition into scientific innovation that drives global economic cycles, the emphasis on artisanal values intertwines ancient practices with technology, ensuring musical operational harmonies in the complexity of logistics systems.

In the futuristic lens of Andy Hunt's Pragmatic Thinking and Learning: Refactor Your Wetware (2008), brain flexibility and improved performance solve recurring problems in traditional loading methods during dynamic market variations, the interconnectedness of cognitive aspects is essential to prepare individuals and systems in diverse terrains to adapt quickly under fast-moving environments and expanded by modernizing tactics in response to the unpredictable challenges of global markets.

Giovanni Arrighi, in The Long Twentieth Century (1994), illustrates the crucial role of geopolitical divisions in the structure of loading and unloading over the course of the century, showing the refined economic dominance of past trade networks compared to the global absorption of pivotal solutions in current trends, Arrighi exposes the summit of logistics architecture, exploring interpretations of economic advances that helped break industrial isolation and efficiently integrated distant civilizations in the coveted and promising capitalist arena.

In Piketty's most recent work, Capital in the Twenty-First Century (2013), although primarily in economic focus, logistical inflows are highlighted as quietly powerful catalysts growing through global wealth flows, Piketty correlates these processes to the economic balance sheet, revealing how mediated and multipurpose storage, anchored by unloading and recharging efficiency, continuously contributes to the economy of nations so far apart and distinct Historically, he explains that, far from being an isolated economic practice, what happens at the docks of ports, bus stations and airports resonates throughout the entire economic-sumptuous mass.

Another thought-provoking work, Sven Lundstedt's Factory of the Future (2018), anticipates the agro-industrial future directly linked to sustainable logistics solutions, this disguised revolution not only intensifies loading and unloading in a regenerative cycle of products but also aligned with practices respectful of the regenerative environment, Lundstedt transports the reader to a future where operational creativity operates harmoniously with intuitive technologies and frontier structural engineering – where logistical interactions flow naturally with technological capabilities in sync depending on automated proactive actions and special human forces.

The Processes of Long Queues in Truck Loading and Unloading

Introduction to Cargo Logistics

Cargo logistics is an essential part of global trade, enabling the efficient transport of goods over vast distances, however, the dynamics of truck loading and unloading often face significant challenges, such as the long queues at company yards, these queues result from the combination of factors such as the growing demand for products and the structural limitations of distribution centers. According to Karr and modern logistics scriptures, such challenges are often attributed to insufficiencies of prior planning and inadequate investment in technology, issues discussed at length in Eliyahu M. Goldratt's "The Goal" (1984), the work provides a meticulous analysis on the impact of constraint theories on industrial processes, offering insights that can be applied to loading and unloading situations.

Causes of Delay in the Loading Process

Cargo operations in logistics centers are complex and subject to different bottlenecks that slow down the flow of goods, many facilities lack modern technological infrastructure, such as integrated warehouse management systems (WMS), which causes delays in the allocation of materials and release of trucks for shipment. Goldratt, in "The Goal", highlights how the restriction of a process can be one of the main culprits for decreases in productivity, in the context of loads, the lack of synchronism between the arrival of vehicles and the availability of space and trained personnel aggravates the slowness of the procedure.

Note.

Projection of the reduction of loading and unloading time, contemplated in the processes of arrival for unloading, entry for unloading, exit unloaded, and with documentation in hand, exit for travel.

Challenges of Flush Queues

Truck unloads also face numerous technical limitations that contribute to increased queues, unloading sites often do not have enough docks to accommodate all vehicles arriving at the same time, resulting in long waits, works such as "Lean Thinking" by James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones (1996) reveal that lean thinking can help optimize spaces and reduce unnecessary waits,? Improving efficiency in these operations, the implementation of lean principles ensures a more agile operation, oriented towards the elimination of waste - crucial in loading and unloading handling.

Time-Consuming Loading and Unloading Processes

Impact of Safety Procedures

Safety precautions during the process of loading and unloading trucks add necessary procedures, but which often result in delays, protocols range from safety inspections R, compliance with dangerous cargo regulations, to accurate measurements of transport proportions, a time-intensive practice that effectively safeguards personnel and goods transported,? Goldratt shows, in "The Goal", how systems that do not integrate security within their value chain face greater and more frequent disruptions.

Operational Capacity Improvement

The significant increase in logistics activities puts pressure on the operational capacities of warehouses and distribution centers, imposing a constant reassessment of their infrastructures, using technological solutions, such as real-time data analysis and route optimizations, can increase capacity without the need for major structural investment, however, as mentioned by Womack and Jones in "Lean Thinking",? Maximizing capacity does not mean lacking in quality controls and adjustments, but providing continuous improvements in the operational flow without sacrificing sensitive places in the process.

Time-Consuming Processes for Issuing Documentation and Release for Travel

Documentation as a Critical Part

Issuance of documentation is another critical topic in cargo transport logistics that often leads to significant delays in the clearance of vehicles for their next journeys, accurate and complete documents are required for compliance with legislation, customs and other administrative requirements, in line with Goldratt in "The Goal", inefficiencies In this segment of the process, they can be seen as restrictions for the entire logistics chain, inhibiting the fluid movement of goods.

Integrating Information Technologies

The adoption of digital solutions facilitates the automation of document processes, streamlining express verifications and validations of the required papers before shipment, as pointed out by Womack and Jones, data-driven technologies can offer dashboards that alert managers to status and potential bottlenecks, allowing proactive intervention, this modern integration improves the flow of information, boosts processing time and helps in the rapid mitigation of problems observed in the loading and unloading docks.

Maximizing Efficiency in Logistics

It is essential to highlight on a daily basis that efficiency in transport logistics requires continuous attention to the improvement of operational processes, technological synchronization and infrastructure resources, the learning extracted from works such as "The Goal" and "Lean Thinking" stands out in the systemic approach to the issues faced in daily operations, providing a theoretically supported and strategically able basis to foster crucial and necessary contextual improvements in logistics environments, increasing their resilience to the dynamic challenges of the sector.

Logistics Costs in Loading and Unloading Processes

The Financial Impact of Queues in Logistics Centers

Logistics costs, especially those associated with long waits during loading and unloading processes, represent a significant challenge for companies around the world, ?the time trucks spend sitting in distribution centers, waiting to load or unload, translates into direct operating costs related to drivers' time, fuel consumption and vehicle idleness, according to Bauman's insight in "Liquid Modernity" (2000), this inflexible fluidity ends up putting even more pressure on companies' profits, when waiting times are not optimized, there is also a considerable opportunity cost, since assets are not being used to their full capacity, improving efficiency in these processes can generate significant savings and increase competitiveness.

The Relationship Between Technology and Cost Reduction

The implementation of modern technologies in logistics is crucial to reduce costs related to loading and unloading, Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions are just some of the tools that can be implemented to provide real-time communication between stakeholders, drastically reducing inefficiencies, as Marvin Harris addressed in "Cannibals and Kings" (1977),? Where it captures the transformation induced by technologies that shape evolving cultural practices, the same is true in the logistics sector: Avanza Digital can decentralize logistical barriers and eliminate unnecessary costs, making the operation not only faster, but also more economical.

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Hidden Costs: Losses of Waiting

Hidden costs within waiting logistics, especially pertaining to delays in the release of documentation, are a common concern, while immediacy may seem benign on the surface, it can multiply costs through duplicate infrastructure, inactive labor, and compromised operational resilience, as highlighted by Goldratt in "The Goal" (1984), the exchange of inefficient waiting times for innovative solutions leads to higher efficiencies and Mitigation of costs associated with productivity losses. Ensuring that papers are processed quickly also helps to avoid penalties resulting from non-compliance with legislation, which would drive additional financial penalties.

Note.

Projection of costs of a dry cargo vehicle, basing the calculations for loading and unloading times, in the total processes that include these operational teams.

Strategies for Mitigating Logistics Costs

The search for efficiency and cost containment in logistics processes goes through a detailed review of current practices, with many of the lessons learned guiding future initiatives, Zygmunt Bauman, when dealing with fluidity in "Liquid Modernity" (2000), reminds us that successful societies never stop experimenting with new solutions to old problems, applying this wisdom in the logistics field implies leading continuous updates of operational processes,? Identifying and removing bottlenecks, aligning regulatory compliance, and ultimately using data analytics to predict and mitigate potential setbacks, these steps not only ensure efficient execution, but also provide advantages in competitive attractiveness and versatility in the face of continuous market changes.

Note.

Simulated projection for the reduction of all teams in the loading and unloading processes.

The Economic Evolution of Optimized Loads

Over time, logistics not only seeks to refine its operational aspects, but also becomes a decisive component in the strategic business composition, this development directly impacts corporate finances and business profitability, Levinson, in "The Box" (2006), documents the revolution that containers brought, patterns that still influence how logistics actors iterate their forces on the road and port for a broader capacity of load-expense, the continuity in the maturation of this factor certainly attracts investments that value efficiency and ensure economic sustainability for numerous industries that depend on the linearity of these transport systems.

Conclusion

As we delve deeper into the complexities of loading and unloading processes, we not only deconstruct the intricate layers of logistics, but also unravel a revealing tapestry of modern commerce, this universe may seem invisible to the average consumer, but the intersection of cutting-edge technologies and traditional practices reveals a spectacle of innovation and resilience, between the old and the new,? the literature offers us a comparative panorama, from Harris's ethical and cultural considerations in "Cannibals and Kings" to the modern industrial revolutions discussed by Goldratt in "The Goal", broadening our perception of how much room there is still for improvement even in the most established systems.

The challenge of integrating contemporary logistics practices with Richard Sennett's adaptive flexibility and Tim Harford's conceptual resilience points us to a future of continuous transformation and agile learning, the future is not only in automation, as evidenced in works such as "Factory of the Future," but also in the synergy between human ingenuity and sustainable practices, harmonizing economic needs and environmental challenges, as logistics evolves, it rethinks its operability at the pace of global technological progress, reaffirming itself as the mainstay behind the exchange of goods and ideas that define, with renewed vigor, economic modernity.

Bibliography

1.???????????????????? Harris, Marvin. Cannibals and Kings: The Origins of Cultures. 1977.

2.???????????????????? Gibson, William. Neuromancer. 1984.

3.???????????????????? Chandler, Alfred. The Commercial Activity Complex. 1977.

4.???????????????????? Bauman, Zygmunt. Liquid Modernity. 2000.

5.???????????????????? Smith, Adam. The Wealth of Nations. 1776.

6.???????????????????? Levinson, Marc. The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger. 2006.

7.???????????????????? Harford, Tim. Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure. 2011.

8.???????????????????? Sennett, Richard. The Craftsman. 2008.

9.???????????????????? Hunt, Andy. Pragmatic Thinking and Learning: Refactor Your Wetware. 2008.

10.??????????????? Arrighi, Giovanni. The Long Twentieth Century. 1994.

11.??????????????? Piketty, Thomas. Capital in the XXI Century. 2013.

12.??????????????? Lundstedt, Sven. Fábrica do Futuro. 2018.

13.??????????????? Goldratt, E. M. (1984). The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement. North River Press.

14.??????????????? Womack, J. P., & Jones, D. T. (1996). Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation. Free Press.

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