Loading dock bumpers can help you protect your dock area, your dock equipment and trailers. Every product that passes through your warehouse or production facility goes through the dock, so it is critical to protect it and keep all doors available and in good condition.

Types of Dock Bumpers

Typically, dock bumpers are installed so that a truck or trailer strikes them first rather than your building. This protects your facility, your dock equipment and the truck or trailer that uses your loading dock.

There are numerous categories of dock bumpers, and choosing the correct dock bumper can be consequential, depending on the throughput of your loading dock. Installing overly-lightweight dock bumpers can sometimes lead to an early demise, while installing dock bumpers that are excessively heavy duty may be pointless and might actually create problems when docking trailers and trucks.

All docks are different, so the kind of dock bumpers you choose will be established by the average vehicle or trailer height, the approach, overall volume and several other factors. For docks where trailers are expected to sway during loading movements, bumpers may be installed vertically or horizontally.

Molded Bumpers (Light Duty): Bumpers formed from molded rubber can offer defense for light duty loading docks. Additionally, they may be installed within a facility to protect walls, doorways and other building elements from lift trucks and other material handling equipment.

Molded rubber is can’t take as much abuse as other styles of dock bumpers and may chip or gouge over time. They may be a workable option for your operation if your loading dock doesn’t get a lot of truck traffic.

Laminated Bumpers (Medium Duty): Laminated bumpers have more substantial pads than molded bumpers and provide superior shock absorption. They are fabricated from cut-to-size strips of used truck tires that are mounted between steel plates.

These bumpers have a reasonably good level of wear resistance and are flexible when it comes to height, length and overall thickness. They are often applied on docks equipped with pit levelers or edge-of-dock equipment, since they offer long-lasting defense for high volume loading docks.

Steel Faced Bumpers (Heavy Duty): Steel faced dock bumpers are equipped with a sliding piece of steel that overlays a standard laminate bumper, stopping undue erosion of the layered padding. The steel enables trailers to press against the bumpers without breaking down the rubber. Steel faced bumpers provide exceptional wear resistance, and typically last up to four times longer than exposed laminate bumpers.

When Should Dock Bumpers Be Replaced?

Although dock bumpers are intended to hold up against impact, they do wear down after sustained use and need to be swapped out every so often. There are a few key indicators that tell you that your dock bumpers should be refreshed.

When you see pad erosion of more than 50%, it's time for replacement. The impact absorption ability of worn down pads is insufficient safeguard your dock. Pads that are heavily worn will eventually expose the metal plates that secure them, and this can cause avoidable damage to both brackets and trailers.

In addition to regular wear, you should look for additional damage like splitting laminates, fractures, warped or corroding brackets and other clear deficiencies. Scheduled bumper inspections are a practice, just as you would regularly 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 loading dock equipment professional at Raymond West today.

Raymond West's Riverside service area includes Redlands, Colton, Rialto, Bloomington, Moreno Valley, Hemet, Perris, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Coachella Valley and all surrounding areas.

Raymond West | Riverside Material Handling Equipment Supplier

Riverside, CA
(951) 384-2444