Our colleagues now lift 80% less during their shift, which is a major improvement. With Destuff-it™, we empty full trailers of non-conveyable parcels 15 minutes faster and much more ergonomical than our traditional method.∼ Lars Kobesen, Project Manager, DPD Nederland
Schmalz Destuff-it™ and JumboFlex boost parcel handling at DPD
DPD Nederland B.V. processes around 4,000 non-conveyable parcels every day at its sorting station. Previously, employees had to manually unload parcels of various sizes and weights from trailers and swap bodies and place them onto conveyor belts for further sorting. These physically demanding tasks resulted in significant ergonomic strain and posed challenges for workplace safety. Today, DPD Nederland B.V. relies on a two-stage handling solution from Schmalz. The mobile conveyor system Destuff-it™ supports the efficient unloading of trailers and swap bodies, while 17 JumboFlex vacuum tube lifters ensure ergonomic parcel handling during the sorting process. The results are measurable: employees’ manual lifting effort has been reduced by 80 percent, and each trailer can be unloaded 15 minutes faster on average.
Characteristics of the success story
| Industry | Logistics |
|---|---|
| Workpiece | Packages |
| Product group | Mobile Conveyor System Destuff-it™ |
| Type of handling | Manual Handling |
With Schmalz
80
percent
less lifting
15
minutes
faster unloading
The Customer: DPD Nederland B.V.
DPD Nederland B.V. is a leading parcel logistics provider with approximately 500 employees operating throughout the Netherlands. The company specializes in last-mile delivery and logistics solutions for e-commerce and B2B customers. DPD Nederland handles diverse parcel types including boxes, tires, carpet rolls and ply bags, ranging from small items to large packages exceeding 115 centimeters in length and 90 centimeters in width. The company operates multiple distribution centers where parcels are sorted, processed and prepared for delivery to destinations across the country.
The Challenge
Before implementing Schmalz solutions, DPD Nederland faced significant challenges at their non-conveyable sorting station. Operators manually unloaded parcels from trailers and swap bodies, then manually placed and removed items from conveyor belts for sorting. This labor-intensive process involved 10 to 20 colleagues working simultaneous shifts. With 4,000 parcels processed daily and 400 handled per hour, the physical demands on employees were substantial. The repetitive lifting of parcels with varying weights, sizes, and surfaces, including boxes wrapped in foil or with glued carton lids, created ergonomic challenges. DPD Nederland recognized that improving worker safety and reducing physical strain were critical priorities. The company set an ambitious target: reduce the NIOSH ergonomic score (an ergonomic standard for measuring lifting strain defined by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) to 1.5 or below, ensuring safer working conditions for all employees.
Schmalz's Solution
DPD Nederland implemented a two-stage Schmalz handling system at their non-conveyable sorting station. The portable conveyor system Destuff-it™ handles initial trailer unloading, while 17 vacuum tube lifters JumboFlex manage parcel placement and sorting at the conveyor belt. The Destuff-it™ system optimizes the unloading process from trailers and swap bodies. As a mobile, self-propelled conveyor with a pivoting belt and height-adjustable operator platform, it enables optimal positioning directly at the parcel wall, allowing operators to acces all package layers ergonomically. This significantly reduces bending, reaching and manual lifting while ensuring a continous material flow. After unloading with the Destuff-it™ system, the vacuum tube lifters JumboFlex are used for parcel sorting. With the intuitive one-hand operation and vacuum-based grippers, the lifters enable fast, precise and ergonomic handling of parcels weighing up to 50 kg, even at high cycle rates. Employees now handle 80 percent less manual lifting during their shifts, This dramatic reduction in physical exertion directly adresses DPD Nederland's primary goal: improving ergonomics and worker welness. By reducing manual lifting operations, the company succesfully achieves its NIOSH ergonomic score target of 1.5 or below. The Schmalz solution combines user-friendly design with measurable performance improvements. After only a short instruction, employees can operate both the Destuff-it™ and JumboFlex systems efficiently. This ease of use enables rapid deployment, minimizes disruption to daily operations, and shortens implementation time while supporting fast adoption across teams. At the same time, the integrated system significantly increases overall productivity. Operators spend less time on physically demanding tasks and can focus more on supervision and sorting decisions. Faster trailer unloading with Destuff-it™ and consistent handling performance with JumboFlex improve the overall material flow at the non-conveyable sorting station. Most importantly, the solution delivers a substantial ergonomic benefit. The strong reduction in physical strain supports better employee health, enhances working conditions, and contributes to lower sickness absences. The positive results convinced DPD Nederland B.V. of the solution’s value: Highly satisfied with the outcomes, the company decided to order an additional 18 Destuff-it™ systems and expand the successful optimization of its package handling operations to further sites.
17 Tube lifters JumboFlex are used for picking and placing the packages, reducing manual lifting by 80 percent.
Customer benefits through the Schmalz solution
Minimized physical strainEmployees lift 80% less, reducing long-term physical stress
Faster trailer unloadingUnloading is up to 15 minutes faster, improving throughput
Improved ergonomic safety NIOSH score ≤ 1.5 ensures safer working conditions
Intuitive operationEasy handling enables quick adoption with minimal training
Products used in the application
Vacuum Tube Lifters JumboFlex
- JumboFlex for ergonomic one-hand operation for fast movement sequences
- Configurable lifting unit, operator handle, vacuum gripper and vacuum generator
- Intuitive two-button control for up/down control, also available with proven one-button control on request
- For workpieces up to 50 kg