Slow warehouse handling? How to avoid chaos during peak periods
2025-02-28 13:20
If you're the head of an e-commerce warehouse, you're no stranger to the pressure during peak periods. During events like Double Eleven or 618, orders flood in like snowflakes, customers are constantly checking for shipping updates, but the workers are running around pushing old carts, each carrying only 300 kilograms. To move 10,000 kilograms a day, they need to make 34 trips, each taking about 10 minutes. That adds up to almost 6 hours. All that time is spent on handling, and the shipping speed can't keep up. The phone is ringing off the hook with customer complaints, and workers are exhausted. I stand there next to the pile of packages, feeling frantic and wishing I could rush in to push the cart myself.
I was once in that situation. Last year, during Double Eleven, the order volume tripled, and the warehouse was a mess. Workers were sweating profusely, staying late to do stock checks, and the next day they still couldn't get up on time. Customer complaints kept piling up, and when the boss asked why shipping was so slow, I could only smile weakly: "The carts carry too little, and there are too many trips. What can we do?" At that time, it felt like inefficiency was an unsolvable knot.
Then, I heard from a colleague about Atrolley, a cart that could carry 500 kilograms. I was skeptical, but I decided to do the math. To move 10,000 kilograms, we needed 34 trips with the old cart. With Atrolley, each cart could carry 500 kilograms, so only 20 trips were needed. Each trip still took 10 minutes, which would total just 3.3 hours. That saves me 140 minutes per cart, or about 2 hours and 20 minutes! I was excited; this could be a lifesaver!
After trying it out, the results exceeded my expectations. The number of trips dropped by nearly 40%, the shipping speed noticeably improved, and customer complaint calls were halved. Worker Xiao Li told me, "This cart really saves energy. It can carry more in fewer trips, and my legs aren't sore anymore." What surprised me even more was that Atrolley’s wheels are particularly agile, made of polyurethane material, which made pushing it smooth and left the floor unscathed, saving me from repairing the floor. I chose the 800×600×1700mm model with double doors, which also helped protect the goods from falling or colliding, reducing damage and lowering the return rate.
But don't think that switching carts solves everything. At first, the team wasn’t used to it and felt the new cart was too complicated, so efficiency actually dropped for a while. I quickly organized an afternoon training session, simulating peak-period scenarios and letting them practice pushing a few trips. The next day, everything went smoothly, and Xiao Li even joked, "I should have never complained, it’s so easy to use!" Choosing the right size also took some thought. Our warehouse aisles are narrow, so I specifically selected this model with a 0.17 cubic meter capacity. It’s compact enough not to take up space, while still being able to carry more goods.
Let me do the math on how much time and labor Atrolley saves. Suppose our warehouse uses 3 carts every day to move 10,000 kilograms. The old cart takes 5.7 hours per trip, so for 3 carts, that’s 17.1 hours. Atrolley, on the other hand, only takes 3.3 hours per trip, so for 3 carts, that’s just 9.9 hours, saving a total of 7.2 hours per day. At an hourly rate of 20 yuan per worker (this is an assumed value, which may vary in different regions), we save 144 yuan per day. In 30 days, that’s 4320 yuan. If overtime pay is doubled during peak periods, the savings would be even greater. Plus, there’s the hidden savings from reduced return rates. When I calculate this, I’m really impressed.
More importantly, it’s not just about money. The time saved means we can ship on time, customers are happy, our ratings improve, and we get more return customers. The workers are less tired, complaining less, and the team is more motivated. I even have more time to talk to the boss about how to optimize processes, rather than always firefighting.
If you also feel that warehouse handling is holding you back, don't just endure it. Low efficiency can't be solved just by adding more people; you need the right tools. I’m not saying Atrolley is the only solution, but it definitely helped me get through the peak period. You can try calculating your own numbers: How much goods do you move daily? How many trips can you reduce? What can you do with the time you save? For me, Atrolley has been a reliable partner, helping me streamline the chaotic peak periods, and now I no longer feel stressed.
