A new warehouse can have dozens of loading dock positions, each requiring coordination between the building structure, concrete work, dock equipment, overhead doors and electrical trades. Although loading dock equipment is typically installed toward the later stages of construction, the groundwork for a successful installation begins much earlier.
For general contractors and project managers, the challenge is not simply ensuring the dock equipment arrives on site. It is ensuring the site is r... Read More
A loading dock equipment quotation can look straightforward: a project has a certain number of doors, and each door needs a leveler, bumpers, and possibly a seal / shelter or vehicle restraint. In practice, two quotations for the same warehouse can differ substantially because the bidders are working from different assumptions.
For general contractors and estimators, a complete bid package helps dealers and equipment manufacturers quote the same scope, identify exceptions early, and avoid cha... Read More
The best scissor lift table for packaging and palletizing is one that brings the pallet to the worker, both around and up and down, so the worker can stay in one place. At the end of a packaging line, most wasted motion comes from walking around the pallet to reach its far side and bending lower or reaching higher as the stack changes height. A Pro-Series Lift & Rotate table from Pentalift handles both with a hydraulic scissor lift under a rotating top.
Key Takeaways
A lift and rotate ... Read More
When planning a new warehouse or distribution center, loading dock equipment is sometimes viewed as a product package that can be selected near the end of construction. In reality, important loading dock decisions affect the building long before the equipment is delivered.
Dock leveler type, pit requirements, dock height, vehicle restraints, seals and shelters, electrical controls, and the intended truck fleet can all influence the building design. The equipment purchase order may come later,... Read More
A new warehouse may have dozens—or even hundreds—of loading dock positions. Each one must work with the building, the trailer fleet and the material handling operation. Yet the dock equipment is sometimes addressed only after critical building decisions have been made. That can create avoidable changes to concrete, electrical infrastructure, door layouts and installation schedules.
The most effective approach is to plan the loading dock equipment as part of the overall construction projec... Read More
Loading dock equipment often works as a system. The dock leveler, vehicle restraint, overhead door, control panel, communication lights, and other equipment all need to operate in the correct sequence.
An overhead door kit, often referred to as an OHD kit, is used to help coordinate loading dock equipment operation with the position of the overhead door. In simple terms, it helps the control system know whether the door is open or closed so the dock equipment operates in the intende... Read More
Dock seals and dock shelters both help close the gap between the building and the trailer at the loading dock. Both help reduce weather entry, energy loss, debris, pests, and product exposure. However dock seals and dock shelters do not work the same way, and they are generally not interchangeable.
A foam compression dock seal is often a good choice when trailers are relatively consistent in size and the goal is to create a tight seal by compressing foam pads against the trailer. A dock shelt... Read More
Many loading docks are designed around a fairly standard trailer height. That works well when a facility primarily handles conventional tractor trailers. However, not every operation has a consistent fleet of vehicles.
Some facilities receive or ship using a mix of semi-trailers, ocean containers, straight trucks, cube vans, pickup trucks, step vans, low-bed vehicles, and specialty delivery vehicles. In those situations, a conventional dock leveler may not provide enough vertical op... Read More
Dock lifts are often selected because they can solve loading dock problems that a conventional dock leveler cannot. They can provide vertical travel between ground level, truck bed height, and dock height, making them useful for facilities that handle varied vehicles or do not have a standard loading dock.
However, selecting the dock lift is only part of the process. The installation configuration is just as important.
A dock lift may be installed in different ways depending on the buildin... Read More
Loading dock equipment is often discussed using industry terms that may not be familiar to every buyer, contractor, purchasing person, or facility manager. Even experienced warehouse personnel may use different names for the same equipment. For example, customers may use “dock plate” and “dock leveler” interchangeably, even though they are different products.
Understanding the basic terminology can make it easier to request a quote, describe a service issue, review a specification, or... Read More