Loading dock bumpers can help you protect your building, your dock equipment and trailers. Every product that enters and exits your warehouse or production facility crosses through the dock, so it is important to preserve it and keep all bays in good working order.

Types of Dock Bumpers

Generally, dock bumpers are installed so that a trailer or truck "bumps" against them rather than against your structure. This helps to protect your facility, your dock levelers and the trailer or truck that makes use of your dock.

There are quite a few varieties of dock bumpers, and choosing the correct dock bumper can be consequential, depending upon the throughput of your dock operation. Using overly-lightweight dock bumpers can sometimes result in an early demise, while installing dock bumpers that are too heavy will be pointless and might in fact lead to troubles when securing trailers and trucks.

Not all facilities are the same, and the kind of dock bumpers you pick will be dependent upon the approach, average trailer or vehicle height, daily volume and many other factors. For docks where trailers are expected to tilt slightly or swing during loading or unloading activities, bumpers may be installed vertically or horizontally.

Molded Bumpers (Light Duty): Bumpers made from molded rubber can supply protection for light duty loading docks. In addition, these bumpers may be applied within a warehouse to protect doorways, walls and other structural components from forklifts and other material handling equipment.

Molded rubber is prone to chipping and gouging with heavy use and is not as wear resistant as other types of bumpers. If your loading dock does not receive high volumes of truck traffic, they could be a reasonable option for your business.

Laminated Bumpers (Medium Duty): Laminated bumpers have better shock absorption capacity because they have more substantial pads. They are made from strips of old truck tires that have been cut to size and sandwiched between steel brackets.

Laminated bumpers have a moderate capacity for wear resistance and are adaptable with regard to thickness, length, and height. They are frequently applied in operations configured with pit-style dock levelers or edge-of-dock levelers, as they provide enduring defense for high volume loading docks.

Steel Faced Bumpers (Heavy Duty): Steel faced dock bumpers are configured with a movable section of steel that overlays a common laminate bumper, inhibiting undue abrasion of the laminated padding. The steel permits trailers to brush against the bumpers without degrading the rubber. Steel faced bumpers provide superior durability, and generally last much longer than exposed laminate bumpers.

When Should Dock Bumpers Be Replaced?

Despite the fact that dock bumpers are meant to hold up against impact, they do wear down after steady use and should be swapped out from time to time. There are some telltale signs that your dock bumpers must be replaced.

If you see wear of more than 50%, it's time for replacement. The impact absorption capacity of depleted pads is simply not enough defend your building. Overly worn pads will sooner or later wear down to the steel plates that hold them in place, and this will likely elicit needless damage to both trailers and brackets.

In addition to normal wear and tear, you should look for other damage like separating laminates, cracking, warped or rusting metal and other obvious deficiencies. You may want to schedule bumper inspections, just as you would systematically inspect your levelers and other dock equipment.

Truck Dock Bumpers Near Me

For questions or a dock bumper price quote, get in touch with a dock equipment professional at Raymond West today.

Raymond West's Long Beach service area includes Long Beach, North Long Beach, Wilmington, San Pedro, Lomita, Torrance and nearby surrounding areas.

Raymond West | Long Beach Material Handling Equipment Supplier

Long Beach
(562) 444-1222