Loading docks are busy and congested areas, and having a comprehensive safety program can benefit your business by preventing costly and disruptive mistakes.

Truck Restraints

When trailers enter a dock bay, making sure the trailer stays in place is critical to the safety of your employees. As lift trucks move on and off trailers and pallets are transferred, substantial weight transitions ensue. As trailers are bumped they will move unless they are safely anchored in place by some kind of restraint system.

Any time a trailer is inadvertently moved, it is known as “trailer creep.” This is exceptionally dangerous for a forklift operator, as the dock plate is disconnected from the trailer. A forklift can quickly plummet from the side of the loading dock, ending up in serious injury or death.

Another consideration is unintended drive offs. Sometimes drivers will depart from the dock before loading or unloading is completed due to miscalculation or misunderstanding. If a forklift is engaged when a truck moves it can be catastrophic.

Truck restraints are engineered to impede trailers from driving off from a dock until it is advisable to do so. Restraints can be as basic as wheel chocks, or they can be as sophisticated as hydraulic hooks that integrate with dock levelers and doors through interlock security mechanisms.

Trailer Restraints (Dock Locks)

Trailer restraint mechanisms are essentially hooks that grasp the ICC bar on a trailer to secure it solidly in place. These hooks can be bare bones, mechanically operated systems or sophisticated electric or hydraulic configurations.

Trailer restraints are often directly tied to the signal lights and leveler equipment on a loading dock bay, so that they can’t be disengaged if the door is open, the dock leveler is in use or the truck driver has not been advised to depart by the dock operator. These safety features are invaluable on any active loading dock and can substantially reduce safety incidents.

Wheel Chocks

Wheel chocks are the simplest way to keep a trailer in place. So why use a restraint system instead of wheel chocks? While basic wheel chocks can work well, there are many risks:

• Forgetful employees can occasionally neglect to place chocks correctly
• Uneven surfaces can make chocks fail if they aren’t placed correctly
• Chocks can get lost, and busy employees may choose to not use them rather than fall behind
• Placing wheel chocks may require workers to get low to the pavement where truck drivers can’t see them, endangering the worker if the truck moves

Dock Restraints Near Me

If you would like to learn more about vehicle restraints or other loading dock safety equipment, contact a dock and door expert at Raymond West today.

Raymond West's Stockton facility serves much of the northern Central Valley, including Stockton, Lathrop, Lodi, Tracy, Modesto, and Merced.

Raymond West | Stockton Material Handling Equipment Supplier

19107 Christopher Way
Lathrop, CA 95330
(800) 675-2500