In a sorting hall a break looks nothing like an office break. Nobody settles in with a mug. Someone grabs a bottle of water, someone eats something standing up, and a moment later they are back at the belt. A machine in a warehouse has to suit that kind of break, not a sofa that is not there.
On the Places page, warehouses, logistics and courier centres get one sentence: a machine in the staff area of the warehouse or sorting hall, inside the building. Here we unpack it.
The staff area, not the loading dock
The dock is close to the work but far from what the machine needs. The doors open to the outside; in winter the frost comes in, in summer the hot air. Alnos Vending machines are for indoor use only and do not stand where vehicles drive in.
A staff area, even a small one, is better: heated, dry, off the forklift routes. Chairs are optional. According to the manufacturer, the vending cooler needs a room between −10 and +30 °C, dry and ventilated, and the coffee machine 5 to 35 °C all year round, so an unheated hall in winter is out.
A machine in a warehouse: few chairs, busy hands
If the break happens standing up, what counts is what can be carried in one hand:
- A bottle from the snack machine: it has a cap, so it will not spill on the way. Plus packaged snacks.
- Something to eat from the vending cooler: food, such as sandwiches and salads, can go behind the glass next to the drinks.
- Coffee from the coffee machine: in a cup with a lid fitted by the machine.
You do not need all three. In a small staff area one machine can be enough. Which one, we settle in a conversation about the place and who uses it. What the cooler looks like inside is in the guide on the 530-litre vending cooler.
A steel hall and the signal
Warehouses have one feature that likes to surprise people: a steel frame and metal cladding can weaken phone signal a lot. The machine needs mobile signal or Wi-Fi, because it connects to a network. That is why we check the signal before choosing the spot, not after installation.
If phones struggle in the staff area but work fine a few metres away, it is better to change the plan than to fight the signal. The same goes for the socket: it needs a separate earthed 230 V socket, not the power strip by the shift manager’s desk.
Forklifts, walkways and safety
We agree the spot with the warehouse so that the machine stands away from forklift routes and transport traffic, and the person choosing a product is not standing in the way. The machine must not block or narrow escape routes or fire exits either. We fix the snack machine to the wall or the floor so it cannot tip over, and leave at least 20 cm behind it for ventilation. The floor has to be firm and level.
After installation, only Alnos Vending moves the machine. If the warehouse layout changes, tell us before the racks move.
A mezzanine or a room upstairs? Those can work too, if the machine can be carried up safely. Alnos Vending decides on getting it in, and the dimensions and weights of the models are in the guide on our three vending machines.
A delivery to a place that takes deliveries
The irony is that Alnos Vending staff turn up with a delivery too. They have to drive in, get in and reach the machine with stock. It is worth agreeing which entrance they use and at what times that works. The scope and the way service works are in the contract.
Payment is cashless; we confirm the details when we set the machine up. There is no coin slot. The deposit on bottles and cans is shown separately from the product price, and the machine does not take empties back.
A courier depot: the start and end of the route
In a courier depot, some people spend only the start and end of their day in the building. In the morning they collect parcels; in the evening they come back from the route. A machine in the staff area by the exit to the yard, but still inside the building, is right on the way: a bottle of water for the route, something to eat on the way back.
For the route, sealed things work well: a drink in a bottle with a cap, a packaged snack. Coffee in a lidded cup will survive the walk to the van, but we make no promises about several hours in a cup holder.
It is also worth thinking about who uses the machine beyond your own team: drivers from other companies, visitors at the dock. The machine stands in the staff area, so you decide who has access to it. If the area is locked at night, the machine is behind that door too.
End of shift
We work in Zamość, Lublin and Rzeszów. Describe the staff area, the number of shifts and whether there is signal: hello@alnosvending.pl, +48 84 300 10 10, or a Golden Ticket, the machine enquiry form. The parcels stay on the belt. One enquiry is enough.