Loading Dock - Basics

Basics

In order to facilitate material handling, loading docks may be equipped with the following:

• Bumpers - protect the dock from truck damage, may also be used as a guide by the truck driver when backing up.
• Dock leveler - a height-adjustable platform used as a bridge between dock and truck, can be operated via mechanical (spring), hydraulic, or air powered systems.
• Dock lift - serves same function as a leveler but operates similar to a scissor lift to allow for greater height adjustments.
• Dock seals - compressible foam blocks against which the truck presses when parked; seals are used at exterior truck bays in colder climates where this will provide protection from the weather.
• Truck or vehicle restraint system - a strong metal hook mounted to the base of the dock which will hook to the frame or bumper of a trailer and prevents it from rolling away during loading operations, can be operated via manual, hydraulic, or electrical systems; this system can replace or work in conjunction with wheel chocks.
• Dock light - a movable articulating light mounted inside the dock used to provide lighting inside the truck during loading operations.
• Loading dock software - provides a method for tracking and reporting on the loading dock activity.

Warehouses that handle palletized freight use a dock leveler, so items can be easily loaded and unloaded using power moving equipment (e.g. a forklift). When a truck backs into such a loading dock, the bumpers on the loading dock and the bumpers on the trailer come into contact and create a gap; also, the warehouse floor and the trailer deck may not be horizontally aligned. The most common dock height is 48” – 52”, though heights of up to 55" occur as well. A dock leveler bridges the gap between a truck and a warehouse to accommodate a forklift.

Where it is not practical to install permanent concrete loading docks, or for temporary situations, then it is common to use a mobile version of the loading dock often called a yard ramp.