Material Movement.

TM 38-400/NAVSUP PUB 572/AFMAN 23-210 MCO 4450.14/DLAM 4145.12

4-3. Material Movement.

i. Dock heights. These should, as nearly as

possible, be compatible with the bed height of carriers.

a. General.

Any material movement requires

This is primarily achieved with bridge plates or

adequate planning, MHE, manpower, and care.

permanently installed adjustable ramps.

Flexibility of the operations is required where a majority

of the material moved is widely varied. Operational

j. Expedited materials should be loaded and

standardization is generally more economical and

unloaded at a specific dock or location. Such items as

feasible where the material remains a constant type,

parcel post, air freight, and express have the tendency

size and shape, or requires the same handling

to congest dock areas unless ample facilities are

repeatedly.

provided. Normally, the "detention time" for the agency,

acting as carrier of expedited material, is short; but the

b. Where economical, personnel should be

loading and unloading delays which they may create are

replaced with mechanical devices. Where volume, size,

costly.

and/or weight merit, mechanical handling devices can

be used economically. Such devices as conveyors,

4-4. Industrial Trucking.

industrial trucks, cranes, etc., aid the loading and

a. Definition.

Industrial trucks are defined as

unloading activity. Safety hazards can be reduced and

mobile equipment and accessories designed for

protection increased when mechanical devices are used

intradepot or on-base facilities materials handling. This

in place of personnel. The opportunity for loss and

covers a wide variety of mechanical equipment, each

damage of packages is greatly reduced when manual

designed to perform some materials handling job

handling is kept to a minimum.

efficiently. No one unit will perform all operations.

c. Proper movement will prevent damage. In most

b. An economic balance exists between the

instances, loose material is subjected to more damage

amount of equipment used and the volume of materials

than properly packed material. Adequate planning

handled. Too often the amount of equipment available

should precede any movement operation, recognizing

is not sufficient. This results in the use of more costly

such factors as center of gravity, adequate dunnage,

means of moving materials or not being able to keep up

heavy material on bottom, rated capacity of MHE,

with required schedules. The condition sometimes

possibility of container and product damage while in

exists where too many units are available; consequently,

transit.

there are idle units. Through proper performance

d. Points of material pickup and delivery should be

records and planning, the most economical number of

kept to a minimum. A larger number of pickup and

operating units can be determined.

delivery points will increase movement requirements,

c. The distance to be traveled is the principal factor

thus affecting manpower and costs. The possibility of

in determining the proper equipment. "How far" will

combining several pickup points into one central point

determine the equipment to be used. A tractor train is

should be considered.

more economical to use for long hauls than the fork

e. Where economical, material should be

truck. In some instances, manual movement is more

segregated by source or destination. In segregating

economical when the distances is just a few feet.

material by source or destination, unnecessary shuffling

d. Industrial trucking operational costs should be

and reshuffling of material is eliminated. Segregation of

analyzed. It is important that an operational cost record

material for this purpose is advantageous in all cases

be kept of every unit of equipment. This will provide

where volume is great enough to warrant it.

information which, among other things, may be used to

f. High priority items should be placed in an

improve preventive maintenance and the selection of

accessible location. Proper loading of high priority

new equipment.

material will expedite delivery at destination, so it can

4-5. Effective Utilization of Manpower.

readily be unloaded.

Manpower is the most basic method for handling

materials.

Throughout the materials handling

g. Area, materials, tools, and equipment should be

processing cycle, manual handling may occur. In view

provided at proper locations.

In the loading and

of this condition, each situation should be examined for

unloading of box cards, areas for dunnage, strapping,

possible improvement.

Where a known manual

strapping tools, lumber, tools, and other miscellaneous

handling operation exists, it should be accomplished in

equipment and supplies should be provided at easily

an efficient manner to preclude repetitive handling at

accessible points.

another stage in the material processing cycle. An

h. Ventilation.

Proper ventilation and lighting

example would be proper

facilities will aid in the reduction of errors and accidents.

Portable lights and fans should be considered on docks

where needed.

4-3