Mac Thunderbolt 1 Dock

I have a late 2011 MacBook Pro 17"

Uploading through the USB 2.0 can be painful, especially with all the new ports out now. Anyone using a Thunderbolt 1/2 dock with USB 3 for upload and external SSD transfers?

What about an external SSD thunderbolt Drive?

Be curious which docking unit you recommend and if the price is worth the saved time?