The Challenge: High-Stakes Loading in Unpredictable Conditions
Daktronics designs and manufactures large-scale electronic scoreboards and digital billboards. Their shipping dock faces a difficult reality where heavy loads meet open air. The main logistics task involves loading massive video systems onto flatbed trailers. Unlike box trucks, flatbeds force operators to work at height without walls. Workers often walk to the very edge of the deck to position crates.
Rain, snow, and ice turn the flatbed deck into a slip hazard. Shaun Kopplin, a Shipping Coordinator at Daktronics, remembers the risk vividly. "I've fell off of a trailer a couple of years ago," he says. That memory persists. Operators focused on their footing move slower. They lose confidence. Daktronics needed a way to guarantee fall arrest compliance without slowing down the movement of large freight.
The Solution: Gorbel Fold Away Tether Track™ System
Daktronics chose the Gorbel Fold Away Tether Track Fall Protection System. This configuration works for areas needing intermittent protection that must stay clear for other tasks. The system uses a rigid rail track as a secure anchor point.
Key technical advantages include:
- Rigid Rail Design: Unlike wire rope, the rigid track stops the "sag" distance during a fall. It stops the worker quickly. This prevents contact with the ground or lower levels.
- Fold-Away Capability: Articulating boom arms allow the track to swing out over the truck during loading. It folds flush against the wall when idle. This keeps the floor plan open.
- Low Rolling Resistance: The enclosed track prevents dirt buildup. A 2-degree taper ensures the trolley centers itself. It glides without resistance.
The Execution: Integration and Mobility
Daktronics installed Tether Track systems in their main shipping pits. Project footage shows the system fitting into the daily routine. Operators put on harnesses. They clip into the trolley before stepping onto the flatbed.
The system moves with them. As workers walk the trailer length to guide crates, the trolley stays directly overhead. It does not "crab walk" or get stuck. This vertical alignment prevents the "swing fall" hazard caused by off-center anchors. Once loading finishes, the track pushes back easily. This clears the air for overhead bridge cranes to move larger components.
The Result: Confidence, Compliance, and Efficiency
The Gorbel Tether Track changed the work environment at Daktronics. The most important result is zero fall-related injuries in the shipping area since installation. "It makes you feel more at ease," notes Kopplin. That mental security leads to faster work.
- Safety Compliance: The team achieved 100% adherence to corporate mandates for tethering on flatbeds.
- Operational Confidence: Operators work to the edge of the trailer without fear. Slippery decks no longer cause hesitation.
- Versatility: Multiple users can use the system at once. It adapts to different trailer lengths used in shipping.