Dock levelers are a vertically adjustable ramp recessed flush into the floor at the buildings loading dock area.
Dock levelers are designed to provide a smooth transition from the floor of the building to the truck bed. Lift trucks, pallet trucks etc. travel across dock levelers somewhere every hour of the day, every day of the year loading and unloading freight from trucks.
The majority of trucks that are backed into position are level with the loading dock area. When the truck is in position and the vehicle restraint safety system engaged the dock attendant operates the dock leveler. https://www.pentalift.com/solutions_category/product-models-vehicle-restraint-systems/
The dock leveler deck is hinged at the back, when the deck assembly raises the hinged lip on the front of the deck extends, when the lip is fully extended the dock leveler is lowered and the hinged lip now rests flat on the truck bed.
If the truck bed is not level with the dock leveler the dock leveler lip assembly will not rest flat on the truck bed. When the deck assembly is lowered the lip will make contact on one side of the truck bed and be higher on the other side of the truck bed making it difficult to load or unload. This could be caused by ice/snow/debris build up outside at the loading dock area. Dock leveler deck “cant” addresses this situation.
Pentalift manufactures mechanical, pneumatic and hydraulic dock levelers. All Pentalift dock leveler deck and lip assemblies are designed to flex laterally up to 4” in either direction to compensate for a truck in position and the truck bed is not level with the dock leveler. The dock leveler deck cant flexing motion allows the lip to rest flat on the bed of the truck even though it is not level to the loading dock; this feature provides a smooth transition across the dock leveler to the truck bed.
This Pentalift hydraulic dock leveler video, time marked 4:13, clearly shows the 4” lateral deck cant feature. With a 4” deck cant at the front of the dock leveler the rear of the dock leveler deck assembly remains level with the floor. This Pentalift design ensures there are no obstructions as the lift truck traffic crosses the back of the deck assembly smoothly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eueQUqwEa_U
For additional information on any Pentalift Loading Dock Equipment please contact the Pentalift Sales Department.