Clocking In

Robert Dietrick Company
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Management

Running a warehouse or manufacturing facility isn’t easy. Every day, you’re expected to keep product moving in, around, and out the door. Faster. Safer. With fewer problems and zero incidents. That’s a lot to carry. It can feel like an impossible ask, but we’re here to help make it possible.  On this show, we dig into the real challenges happening on the floor and at the loading dock. Each episode, you’ll hear from industry experts, operators, and problem-solvers who share practical ways to improve quality, boost productivity, and keep facilities running smoothly. Our goal is simple. Share new ways to tackle challenges that never seem to end so your people and your product get in, around, and out the door safely. You ready to clock in?

Episodes

  1. 4d ago

    The Top 10 Loading Dock Mistakes We See Every Year

    Is your loading dock the biggest liability in your facility  and do you even know it? In this episode of Clocking In, host Mike Smith sits down with Pat Feeney, Territory Sales Representative at Robert Dietrick Company, who brings 21 years of hands-on experience as a service technician, installer, service manager, and quality assurance manager. Pat has seen the full life cycle of loading dock equipment, from installation to failure, and now helps facilities avoid the mistakes he watched play out for two decades. You'll walk away from this episode knowing exactly what equipment mistakes are costing facilities the most, why high turnover has changed the nature of errors at the loading dock, and what practical steps you can take to find out where your operation stands. Key Takeaways:- Moving into a leased space means inheriting equipment that may be dangerously undersized for your operation. Know what you're getting before you sign.- Skipping PM doesn't save money; it multiplies costs. Equipment with proper PM lasts 10–20 years. Without it, about five.- Interlocks force every operator through the correct sequence, whether they were trained on it or not. They're the best tool for handling high turnover.- Forklift and pedestrian separation, fall protection, and knowing what to do when the dock lock fails are all solvable problems. Most facilities just haven't solved them yet. Highlights:(0:00) 25% of facility accidents happen here, and most leaders underinvest in it(1:06) What 21 years at the loading dock actually teaches you(2:35) How turnover changed the nature of dock mistakes(4:25) The two things facilities are most embarrassed to admit(5:22) Mike and Pat share their most embarrassing on-the-job mistakes(8:14) Why the dock is one of the biggest liabilities in your building(10:00) Mistake #1: Underrated equipment and the leased-building trap(13:02) Mistake #2: The PM math that always catches up(14:46) Mistake #3: Wrong restraint for the wrong trailer(16:38) Mistake #4: No interlocks, and how they people-proof your dock(21:14) Mistake #5: Going cheap and what it really costs you(22:52) Mistake #6: Open dock doors without fall protection(25:20) Mistake #7: Forklift and pedestrian separation in legacy buildings(29:58) Mistake #8: What to do when the dock lock fails(32:40) Mistake #9: Production too close to the docks(34:51) Mistake #10: Non-standardized equipment and the chaos it creates(36:30) Two things you can do immediately to assess your loading dock Resources:Robert Dietrick Company’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/robert-dietrick-co./ Mike’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-smith-92728864/   Download RDC's free 10-category, 50-point facility assessment checklisthttps://rd-co.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/facility_checklist.html

    37 min

  2. May 27

    What High-Performing Facilities Do Differently

    What separates a high-performing facility from one that's just holding it together?  In this episode of Clocking In, host Mike Smith sits down with Lisa Colles, Senior Specialist of Engineering, Distribution, and Maintenance with decades of experience building elite operations at Eli Lilly, to answer that question from the inside out. Lisa shares what it actually looks and feels like to walk into a facility that's firing on all cylinders, why safety and efficiency isn’t the trade-off most people think it is, and the one thing you can do Monday morning to get an honest read on where your operation stands. Key Takeaways: Your facility should run the same on your worst day as your best. If it only hums when the right people are having a good day, you have people running your facility, not processes and that's a problem waiting to happen.Safety and efficiency aren't opposites. Slowing forklifts just 2–3 mph reduced incidents without killing productivity. Lisa’s team adapted by hauling more per trip. When you remove the trade-off mentality, humans will innovate to make both work.Monday morning, do a walkabout. Clean floors, clear pedestrian pathways, proper lighting, and PPE worn without being asked are your fastest indicators of whether your facility is truly high-performing or just getting by.Highlights: (0:00) Why most facilities are running on hope and don't know it (02:44) The three-part framework for this episode  (03:04) What Plankton from SpongeBob gets wrong about high performance  (05:14) The real definition of a high-performing facility  (05:41) Lisa's first job: no processes, no training, and forklifts nearly rolling off docks  (10:03) How to read a facility's culture in the first 30 seconds  (13:50) The systems that keep things humming even on a bad day  (17:35) "I have to choose between safe and efficient" and why that's a myth  (21:38) The vendor criteria most facilities completely overlook  (23:10) Why your equipment has a memory  and you should use it  (26:13) The Monday morning walkabout: where to start if you don't know where to start Resources: Lisa Colles’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lcolles/  Robert Dietrick Company’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/robert-dietrick-co./ Mike’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-smith-92728864/  Download RDC's free 10-category, 50-point facility assessment checklist https://rd-co.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/facility_checklist.html

    30 min

  3. Episode 1

    Are You Ready to Clock In?

    Running a warehouse or manufacturing facility is hard work. Every day, you're moving products, managing people, and solving problems, all while trying to do so more safely and faster. Clocking In is the podcast for the people on the floor, at the dock, and behind the operations that keep facilities running. Each episode delivers practical advice from industry experts and operators just like you. Expect real talk on safety, productivity, and keeping things moving even when they don't go as planned. The challenges never stop. But neither do you. Resources: Robert Dietrick Company’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/robert-dietrick-co./ Mike’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-smith-92728864/

    1 min

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Running a warehouse or manufacturing facility isn’t easy. Every day, you’re expected to keep product moving in, around, and out the door. Faster. Safer. With fewer problems and zero incidents. That’s a lot to carry. It can feel like an impossible ask, but we’re here to help make it possible.  On this show, we dig into the real challenges happening on the floor and at the loading dock. Each episode, you’ll hear from industry experts, operators, and problem-solvers who share practical ways to improve quality, boost productivity, and keep facilities running smoothly. Our goal is simple. Share new ways to tackle challenges that never seem to end so your people and your product get in, around, and out the door safely. You ready to clock in?

Information

  • Creator
    Robert Dietrick Company
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Robert Dietrick Company
  • Show Website
    Clocking In