As the holiday season approaches, warehouses across North America are bracing for a surge in demand—again. But there’s a twist: Consumers are expected to shop earlier and spend more. That adds pressure to operations teams already juggling labor shortages, unpredictable freight schedules, and tight cost controls.
You’ve likely seen it before: workers idling as they wait for late shipments—only to log costly overtime once trucks arrive. The stress builds on both sides of the dock. So how do you stay ahead of the curve?
Here are five operational strategies we recommend to help you better manage loading and unloading challenges before peak season hits full swing.
If you’re treating your freight broker as a transactional contact, you’re missing a key opportunity. A trusted broker can be an operational ally—helping you proactively manage delays, negotiate flexible load times, and reduce detention charges.
When you maintain open, responsive communication, you’re in a better position to adjust quickly when conditions change. That kind of relationship equity pays off—especially when time is tight and trucks are stacked at the dock.
Manual dock scheduling systems can’t keep up with the pace of modern freight. And when your technology lags, so does your productivity.
The right dock management software should go beyond simple scheduling. It should provide real-time visibility, automatically notify carriers and suppliers, and allow for smart planning based on custom constraints. Look for features like:
At Eclipse Advantage, we help clients implement solutions that cut down administrative time, surface operational insights, and reduce friction on the floor. When your team knows what’s coming—and when—you’re in a much stronger position to plan labor and meet throughput targets.
In a tight labor market, your frontline workers have options. If your operation doesn’t meet their needs, another one will.
According to EmployBridge’s latest Voice of the Blue-Collar Worker report—the largest survey of hourly workers in the U.S.—two factors matter most to warehouse workers today: pay and schedule flexibility. In fact, schedule preferences are now influencing job decisions more than benefits in some sectors.
This is your opportunity to stand out as an employer of choice. Offering consistent hours, shift options, and transparent compensation isn’t just a retention strategy—it’s an operational advantage. Because a stable, motivated workforce performs better.
Your frontline team knows more than anyone else about what’s working—and what isn’t. They see the inefficiencies. They hear the frustrations. And they often have clear ideas for how to improve processes.
When you create a system for gathering and acting on worker feedback, you do more than improve productivity—you build trust. Workers feel heard, invested, and empowered to contribute. That kind of engagement has a direct impact on retention, morale, and overall performance.
Hourly pay structures are familiar—but they often lead to misaligned incentives. In a traditional model, the goal is to clock in, clock out, and stretch hours when possible. Output isn’t tied to compensation, so motivation tends to plateau.
A productivity-based team pay model flips that script. Compensation is based on actual work completed—measured by output, not hours. Teams are rewarded for collaborating, working efficiently, and meeting clearly defined targets.
Here’s how our CEO explains it:
“In the commodity model, workers are paid by the hour. Their goal is to stay eight hours—regardless of output. That leads to overstaffing, underperformance, and inflated labor costs. With team-based pay, you pay for work done, not time spent. It’s a system that rewards results.”
At Eclipse Advantage, we’ve helped dozens of clients implement this approach with proven success. Most see a 10–15% increase in throughput, significant reductions in overtime, and a 35% increase in employee earnings—without raising labor spend.
Peak season doesn’t have to mean operational chaos. With the right strategy, you can improve flow at the dock, retain your top talent, and align incentives across your workforce.
If you’re interested in how a productivity-based pay model could transform your warehouse this season—and beyond—take a look at our Quick Guide to Productivity Pay. We break down the model, the outcomes, and how to get started.
Get the guide now and see how you can boost performance while keeping costs steady.