Loading docks are busy and congested areas, and maintaining a good safety strategy can benefit your business by preventing costly and disruptive mistakes.

Truck Restraints

As trailers are backed up to a dock bay, making certain that the vehicle is immobilized is crucial to the safety of your labor force. As lift trucks maneuver on and off trailers and goods are added or removed, significant weight transitions occur. When trailers are jostled they tend to move unless they are safely tethered in place by some form of restraint system.

When a trailer is inadvertently moved, it is known as “trailer creep.” This is exceedingly hazardous for a forklift driver, as the dock board is detached from the trailer. A lift truck can easily fall off the dock edge, ending up in severe bodily harm or death.

Another problem is unscheduled drive offs. Sometimes drivers will depart from the loading dock before loading or unloading is finished due to oversight or misunderstanding. If a forklift is on board when a trailer pulls away it can be catastrophic.

Truck restraints are made to stop trailers from pulling away from a dock until it is safe to do so. Restraints can be as basic as wheel chocks, or they can be as advanced as hydraulic hooks that pair with dock levelers and doors through interlock security mechanisms.

Trailer Restraints (Dock Locks)

Trailer restraint mechanisms are essentially claws that latch onto the ICC bar on a trailer frame to secure it firmly in place. These hooks can be bare bones, manually operated systems or more advanced hydraulic and/or electric configurations.

Oftentimes, restraints are directly tied to the door, signaling lights and leveler equipment on a loading dock bay, so that they can’t be disengaged if the door is in the open position, the dock leveler is in use or the truck driver has not been advised to depart by the dock operator. Safety features like these are extremely beneficial on any busy loading dock and can greatly improve safety and productivity.

Wheel Chocks

Using wheel chocks is probably the simplest way to keep a vehicle stable. Why not just use chocks instead of fancy restraint systems? Although ordinary wheel chocks can do the job, there are many risks:

• Absent minded workers may sometimes fail to place chocks correctly
• Uneven surfaces can cause chocks to slip or not function properly
• Chocks can get misplaced, and busy employees may forego them instead of falling behind
• Placing wheel chocks may require employees to get down near the ground where truck drivers can’t see them, putting the employee in harm’s way if the truck moves

Dock Restraints Near Me

If you would like to learn more about dock locks or additional loading dock safety equipment, get in touch with a dock and door professional at Raymond West today.

Raymond West's Las Vegas facility serves all of the Las Vegas Valley, including Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, Summerlin, Paradise, Spring Valley, Sunrise Manor, Enterprise, Winchester, Whitney and all surrounding areas.

Raymond West | Las Vegas Material Handling Equipment Supplier

2555 E Washburn Rd
North Las Vegas, NV 89081
(702) 651-6480