Common Tugger Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Common Tugger Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Tugger systems bring efficiency, but many organizations encounter avoidable pitfalls during selection, deployment, and operations. This friendly guide outlines the most common mistakes and practical ways to avoid them so your tugger investment pays off.

Mistake 1: Skipping process mapping and jumping to equipment purchase

Buying tuggers before understanding material flows leads to wrong specifications and wasted capital. Avoid this by documenting current routes, volumes, peak times, and handling points. Model expected trips per hour, dwell times at docks, and turnaround to size your fleet correctly. A small pilot run on a few routes will surface issues early.

Mistake 2: Underestimating fleet size and cycle time

Many projects estimate fleet requirements by eyeballing, ignoring real-world delays like coupling time, battery charging, and congestion. Use cycle time calculations that include loading/unloading, travel, and buffer time. Factor in growth and have a plan for surge capacity such as cross-trained staff or temporary rental tuggers.

Mistake 3: Poor cart and coupling standardization

Mixing incompatible carts and hitches creates delays and safety hazards. Standardize cart dimensions, weight limits, and coupling geometry. Use simple visual cues and markings so operators can quickly compose trains without trial and error.

Mistake 4: Neglecting charging and battery strategy

Running out of battery mid-shift creates bottlenecks. Define charging intervals, invest in opportunity charging or battery swap stations where needed, and monitor battery health via telematics. For AGV tuggers, automated charging docks and careful duty cycle planning are essential.

Mistake 5: Inadequate operator training and change management

Introducing tuggers changes daily routines. Lack of training leads to unsafe behavior and inefficient use. Develop simple standard operating procedures for coupling, docking, emergency response, and exceptions. Conduct hands-on training and include supervisors in early planning so they can coach teams during rollout.

Mistake 6: Ignoring safety in facility design

Tuggers operate in busy environments. Insufficient pedestrian protections, poor signage, and blind corners are major safety risks. Use physical barriers where possible, mark pedestrian crossings, implement reduced speed zones, and add warning lights and horns on vehicles. Regular safety audits after go-live help catch issues early.

Mistake 7: Weak integration with WMS or production systems

Without integration, tugger tasks may be inefficiently scheduled or hard to track. Link tuggers to your WMS or MES to prioritize urgent replenishments and to get visibility into in-transit inventory. Even simple integrations that push tugger run requests and receive confirmations improve responsiveness and reporting.

Mistake 8: Over-automation without readiness

Some facilities rush to AGV tuggers without stable processes. If the layout or SKU mix changes frequently, fully automated systems may struggle. Start with manned tuggers to stabilize processes, then progressively automate sections once flow is predictable.

Mistake 9: Not measuring the right KPIs

Focusing only on equipment uptime misses the business impact. Track meaningful KPIs such as on-time deliveries to production, trips per hour, total vehicle miles, cost per trip, and incident rates. Use data to iterate on routes and schedules.

Mistake 10: Poor maintenance planning

Reactive maintenance causes unexpected downtime. Implement preventive maintenance routines for couplings, brakes, batteries, and telematics hardware. Keep spare parts inventory for high-wear items and plan for seasonal workload peaks that might stress equipment.

Simple mitigation checklist:

• Map flows and run a small pilot before full investment.

• Calculate fleet needs using measured cycle times, not estimates.

• Standardize carts, hitches, and docking procedures.

• Design clear routes with pedestrian protections and signage.

• Integrate tuggers with WMS or MES where practical.

• Train operators, run safety drills, and monitor performance.

• Schedule preventive maintenance and monitor battery health.

• Use KPIs to drive continuous improvement and scale responsibly.

Example of recovery: A consumer goods manufacturer experienced frequent delays because operators had no standard process for assembling tugger trains. After implementing a color-coded cart system, defined docking procedures, and a 30-day training program, average coupling time dropped by 40 percent and on-time production replenishment improved significantly.

In summary

Tuggers are powerful enablers of lean flow when introduced thoughtfully. Avoid the common mistakes by planning, standardizing, integrating, and measuring. With the right approach, a tugger system becomes a reliable backbone of internal logistics and a visible contributor to operational efficiency.