Packaging & Logistics worked example

Dock Door Capacity at 98% door utilization: a worked example

What does the result look like when door utilization reaches 98%? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. Use it to plan dock scheduling, size door count, and check whether your docks can clear the day's inbound and outbound loads.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Loads handled per door per hour: 1.5 loads / hr (unchanged)
  • Door operating hours available: 80 hr (unchanged)
  • Door utilization: 98 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 85)
  • Schedule adherence: 90 % (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Gross load capacity = loads per door per hour × door hours available) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 106 loads for net loads handled, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 120 loads for gross load capacity.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 2.4 loads for door utilization loss.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 11.76 loads for schedule slippage loss.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where door utilization sits at 85% and the headline result is 91.8 loads, this scenario comes in 15.29% above the baseline at 106 loads.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when door utilization is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. It assumes one steady load rate per door; mixed freight (floor-loaded vs. palletized, live vs. drop) can swing real load times by 2-3x and isn't captured by a single average.

Results at a glance

  • Net loads handled: 106 loads (headline result)
  • Gross load capacity: 120 loads
  • Door utilization loss: 2.4 loads
  • Schedule slippage loss: 11.76 loads

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Dock Door Capacity calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.