A year ago, we welcomed a new team member to our Buena Park facility. Dock Duck—Contoro Robotics’ autonomous unloading system—began handling one of warehousing’s toughest challenges: offloading floor-loaded containers. Twelve months later, the results validate what we’ve long believed about 3PL warehouse automation: the right technology doesn’t just create efficiency gains, it fundamentally improves how teams work.
The numbers tell part of the story. Over 450 containers unloaded. Throughput climbing 20% every six months as the system’s AI continues learning. But the metrics that matter most aren’t just about speed, they’re about our people working in safer conditions while maintaining the productivity standards our customers depend on.
Why This Matters
Anyone who’s worked in a warehouse knows that unloading floor-loaded trailers ranks among the most physically demanding tasks in logistics. Repetitive lifting, confined spaces, temperature extremes, it takes a toll. Contoro’s approach removes team members from inside the trailer entirely. The robot enters, uses its DuoGrasp technology to handle cases, and feeds them onto the conveyor while operators manage the flow from outside in better conditions.
“Partnering with Contoro to automate the task of offloading trailers continues to help us with keeping our team safe and productive,” said Jesse Sevilla, our Director of Sales and Operations. “We are a premier 3PL provider and leverage automation in as many departments as possible within our operations. Automating the most challenging task of offloading floor-loaded trailers has been well received by our team, and we are planning to add additional Ducks to continue our automation vision while providing world-class service to our customers.”
What’s Next
We’re expanding the system this year to include automated palletization, which will handle the complete inbound process without manual intervention. We’re also looking at additional facilities where Dock Duck could deliver similar improvements. As Robotics 24/7 recently reported, Contoro’s continuous learning system means performance keeps improving, a partnership that gets stronger over time rather than plateauing after implementation.
Dr. Youngmok Yun, CEO of Contoro Robotics, described the collaboration this way: “Working with States is truly a collaborative experience. They leverage technology to help tackle inflation, sustainability costs and labor shortages, and we are proud to assist them in offloading their trailers with our robot. They are customer- and employee-centric and take a proactive approach with technology to remain on the cutting edge of automation adoption.”
That’s the kind of partnership we value, one built on shared commitment to innovation, safety, and genuine operational improvement. For CPG and beverage brands evaluating 3PL partners, these investments in automation translate directly to the reliability and service quality your supply chain requires. Let’s talk about how our technology-forward approach can support your operations.
