During building construction the Contractor pre forms and pours individual 3 sided dock leveler pits that are recessed flush into the buildings floor at the loading dock area. The pits are formed and poured by the Contractor to suit the pit dimensions provided by the selected dock leveler manufacturer. The dock leveler pit has steel angle iron imbedded into the concrete flush with the buildings floor on the top 3 sides of the pit. After the concrete has been poured the pit forms are stripped ... Read More

The majority of loading docks that are equipped with dock seals have a level approach. Compression style dock seals perform best with 4” - 6” of foam compression with the truck backed into position tight to the face of the dock bumpers. With less compression the seal is not as effective. With over compression the seal may be damaged. With a declining loading dock approach the truck backs down a ramp towards the loading dock therefore the dock seals must be designed to accommodate for this... Read More

As E-commerce continues to grow the consumer’s emphasis continues to focus on 3 primary factors; the cost of the goods and the availability of goods and how fast the goods can be delivered. Until recently the majority of Fulfillment Centers where located in the major metropolitan centers based on the local population density. As E-commerce now reaches everywhere customers in outlying areas no longer accept the wait times often associated with longer deliveries based on distance from a major... Read More

A declining approach at a loading dock area is not unusual; consideration must be given to the dock bumper installation, the dock leveler installation, the dock seal installation and the vehicle restraint installation. This link shows an example of a declining approach at a loading dock area. https://www.pentalift.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Projected-Pit-Dock-leveler-Benefits-1.pdf At a declining approach the dock bumpers must be installed to stop the incoming truck in position prior t... Read More

An example of equipment used at the loading dock with a static load rating is a Dock Lift. In a loading application the product is moved onto the dock lift platform when it is in the lowered position, the load remains static or stationary as the dock lift rises to the truck bed height. The dock lift hinged bridge plates are then lowered and the product is moved from the dock lift platform to the truck bed.  The transition from the dock lift to the truck bed is level and happens at a fairly s... Read More

The modern loading dock area is often one of the busiest areas of any facility. With trucks coming and going throughout the day safety at the loading dock is an important area of consideration. One of the most significant contributors to improving safety at the loading dock is a Vehicle Restraint Safety System. A vehicle restraint safety system serves two primary functions, visual communication between the truck driver and the loading dock attendant and mechanically securing the truck in posi... Read More

Although the majority of loading dock areas has a level approach to the building declining approaches is common and precautions must be taken with a declining approach at time of the building construction. At a level approach area the truck backs into position and stops when the rear of the truck contacts the dock bumpers. From a side view perspective, the truck is basically in position square to the face of the building foundation wall and the exterior building wall. Without taking precau... Read More

The modern loading dock is one of the busiest areas of any manufacturing facility or distribution center therefore safety is a paramount consideration. The equipment generally associated with the loading dock area includes dock levelers, vehicle restraints, dock seals, overhead doors and dock lights. A master control panel provides the dock attendant a convenient centralized location to operate all of the above mentioned equipment at the loading dock and it also allows for the ability to inte... Read More