KEITH Manufacturing Co. is using MODEX 2026 to push dock automation further into mainstream warehouse operations with a live demonstration of its Freight Runner Dock to Trailer system.
The system replaces the traditional dock plate with an automated transfer path for pallets moving between dock and trailer, removing the need for forklift traffic and personnel inside the trailer during the loading cycle. That is a notable shift in a part of warehouse operations that still depends heavily on manual handoffs, tight vehicle movements, and a transition zone that remains exposed to collision and fall risk.
KEITH positions the equipment as an auto truck loading system, but the more significant point is how directly it targets two pressures at once: labour availability and trailer turn time. The company says the system can load or unload in as little as five minutes, while its modular drop-in design is intended to limit civil works and make retrofits more practical for existing sites rather than greenfield projects alone.
That retrofit angle matters. A great deal of dock automation looks compelling on a clean layout and less attractive in a mature facility with fixed doors, legacy trailers, and tight capital approval. KEITH’s pitch is that the conveyor can be slotted into current infrastructure with limited modification, which makes it easier to treat dock automation as an incremental operational upgrade rather than a full redevelopment job.
MODEX is likely to provide a receptive backdrop. The Atlanta show runs from 13 to 16 April and live hardware demonstrations remain central to the event. In that environment, showing dock-to-trailer automation in motion is likely to matter more than static claims on throughput or safety.
For operators weighing up automated loading, the real question is not whether the dock can be mechanised, but how much disruption, trailer standardisation, and change management the process demands. KEITH’s answer will be on the show floor at Booth C12990 during MODEX 2026.
