Your dock looks like a strong candidate for robotic labor.
Based on your inbound volume and case profile, our model shows deploying Pixmo at your facility makes strong operational and financial sense, with less than 18 months to payback. Here’s the high-level picture.
The economics of robotic labor at your operation
What dock labor actually costs per case
Most operations underestimate this number. A fully burdened dock worker costs $26-30/hr and unloads 2,000-3,000 cases per day.
That puts manual unloading at roughly $0.08-$0.12 per case, and it stays in that range no matter how many shifts you run. Every shift requires a full crew at full cost.
What robotic labor costs per case
Pixmo runs at a fixed monthly cost per unit, and each unit handles roughly 4 containers per shift. Manual labor cost per case stays flat as you add shifts. Pixmo’s drops.
1 shift:
- Manual labor: $0.08-.12 / case
- Pixmo: $0.068/case
2 shifts:
- Manual labor: $0.08-.12 / case
- Pixmo: $0.03-0.04/case
The reason: adding a second shift of manual labor means a second crew at full cost. Adding a second shift of Pixmo costs $1,500 per unit. A third shift adds $750 more. Your labor cost per case scales flat. Pixmo’s falls with every shift you add.
Beyond the direct cost comparison
Even where the direct costs are comparable, robotic labor changes your operation in ways that don’t show up in a simple cost-per-case calculation:
- Consistent throughput. Pixmo shows up every shift. No call-outs, no no-shows, no end-of-shift slowdowns. Your dock runs predictably.
- Injury reduction. Container unloading is one of the most physically demanding and injury-prone jobs on the dock. Removing workers from that environment reduces workers’ comp exposure and improves safety outcomes across your facility.
- Turnover relief. Dock unloading roles see some of the highest turnover rates in warehouse operations. Every replacement hire absorbs recruiting, onboarding, and lost productivity costs. Robotic labor eliminates that cycle on the unloading dock entirely.
- Scalability on demand. Volume spikes and additional shifts no longer mean scrambling to hire and train. You scale robotic labor by adjusting a contract, not a headcount.