Dock Levellers Explained

Every efficient loading dock requires a dock leveler for the safe and most convenient method of loading and unloading the trucks that drop off heavy objects. Dock levellers are used in the loading industry to bridge the gap between the loading dock and the bed of a truck. This gap may be of an equal height or there may be some disparity between the height of the dock and the bed of the truck. There are dock levelers that serve either or both purposes.

Because the size of docks and the size of trucks vary, dock levellers come in a range of sizes and they are also available in a range of load bearing choices.

When a dock leveller is put in place a forklift can work quickly transferring goods from the dock to the truck or vice-versa. Whether the truck has side access or tail-lift access there are dock levellers that are used for either situation.

The point of the dock leveller is to increase the efficiency of load handling while maintaining a high level of workman safety. Dock levellers are heavy duty pieces of equipment capable of handling heavy weights.

Dock levellers are available in a variety of configurations and containing different features such as telescopic lips, swing lips or hinged lips or you may need a scissor lift. Other types of dock levellers include pit mounted or free standing levellers, tailgate levellers, container dock levellers or edge of dock levellers.

Let’s take a look at some of the features and distinctions between the various types of dock levellers.

Container dock levellers enable container trucks to be loaded and unloaded when containers are not positioned at the rear of the truck bed. The way it works is that the truck will back underneath the leveller which is positioned to form a bridge between the container floor and the building. The leveller is hinged at the building end and floating at the truck’s end moving with the suspension of the truck.

These loading dock levelers are the simplest methods for correcting the difference between the dock and the height of the truck bed. They are generally only suitable for small height differences of up to around 5”. They are attached to the dock itself and can be powered either mechanically or hydraulically powered.

The operation of a dock leveller might be controlled either mechanically or hydraulically to lower them into place or to raise them again after use. A mechanical dock leveller is controlled by a chain and counterweights to be hauled into the correct position. Mechanical levellers are not only the most common type of leveller but also the least expensive.

A hydraulic dock leveller is more usually seen on loading docks where there is a lot of traffic and a good proportion of it is heavy. The leveller is controlled by a switch that controls a hydraulic cylinder that is operated by an electric pump to lower and lift it into place. To give them a little extra reach to the bed of the truck, many hydraulic levellers also come with a lip that extends and cushions its placement on the truck.

For additional flexibility the hydraulic dock leveller may be equipped with a telescopic lip to give it greater flexibility. Alternatively, the lip may be divided into multiple segments to compensate for the different sizes of trucks that operate in the dock.

The name of this type of dock leveller really explains the main feature which is the fact that it can be stored in an upright position. The idea behind this is that the tray will be kept cleaner than if it were stored flat. These types of dock levellers are in use in food and pharmaceutical industry docks where it is important to maintain a high level of cleanliness.

Dock levellers must be strong pieces of equipment to be able to handle the large weights of goods and loading trucks that depend on them. They must also be versatile and able to be adapted to many situations with some height differences more pronounced than others.

They can be as simple as a shallow ramp rolled over the gap or they can be lowered from above to form a kind of drawbridge between vehicle and building. A simple mechanical machine or a more complicated piece of equipment, the dock leveller means the difference between a long and arduous loading job and a quick easy job that increases productivity and reduces the running costs of the company.

The dock equipment for material handling and loading has a number of respected names that produce a range of quality products in the dock leveler industry. Some of the names that you should be aware of include Poweramp dock levelers, McGuire dock levelers, Rite Hite dock levelers, Kelley dock levelers, Serco Dock Levelers and Pioneer Loading Dock Equipment.