Dock bumpers can help you safeguard your dock area, your dock equipment and trailers. Every product that enters and exits your warehouse or manufacturing facility crosses through the dock, so it’s critical to preserve it and keep all doors available and in good shape.

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 building, your dock equipment and the truck or trailer that uses your loading dock.

There are many types of dock bumpers, and selecting a suitable bumper can be consequential, depending on 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 may be unproductive and could in fact cause problems when securing trailers and trucks.

The style of dock bumpers you pick will be dependent upon the average vehicle or trailer height, the approach, overall volume and many additional factors. For loading docks where trucks or trailers have the potential to sway during loading or unloading movements, bumpers can be attached in either a vertical or horizontal orientation.

Molded Bumpers (Light Duty): Dock bumpers formed from molded rubber can supply defense for low-traffic loading docks. Additionally, molded bumpers are sometimes applied on the interior of a building to protect doorways, walls and other structural elements from forklifts and other equipment.

Molded rubber is the least durable option of various dock bumper styles, and is more prone to chipping or gouging. They may be a workable choice for your business if your dock doesn’t receive a lot of truck traffic.

Laminated Bumpers (Medium Duty): Laminated bumpers have more substantial pads than molded bumpers and afford better shock absorption. They are made from cut-to-size strips of recycled truck tires that are mounted between steel brackets.

Laminated bumpers have a moderate level of wear resistance and are versatile with regard to thickness, length, and height. They are commonly applied on docks configured with pit-style dock levelers or edge-of-dock equipment, as they offer enduring protection for high traffic docks.

Steel Faced Bumpers (Heavy Duty): Steel faced loading dock bumpers are designed with a sliding piece of steel that overlays a common laminate bumper, stopping heavy erosion of the laminated rubber pads. The durable metal allows trailers to brush against the bumpers without deteriorating the rubber. These bumpers offer outstanding wear resistance, and typically last much longer than unprotected laminate bumpers.

When Should Dock Bumpers Be Replaced?

While dock bumpers are meant to withstand impact, they do deteriorate after sustained use and must be swapped out every so often. There are a few key indicators that tell you that your dock bumpers should be replaced.

If you see pad erosion of more than 50%, it's time for replacement. Worn pads do not provide enough impact absorption capacity to safeguard your dock. Pads that are overly worn will eventually wear down to the metal brackets that hold them in place, and this may cause needless damage to both trailers and brackets.

Besides regular wear and tear, you should look for further damage like splitting laminates, fractures, bent or rusting brackets and other evident deficiencies. It's a good idea to schedule bumper inspections, just as you would systematically inspect your levelers and other dock equipment.

Truck Dock Bumpers Near Me

For dock bumper questions, inspection or replacement, contact a dock equipment expert at Raymond West today.

Raymond's Seattle service operation includes most of Western Washington, including Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Bothell, Woodinville, Lynnwood, Everett, Tukwila, Renton, SeaTac, Burien, Kent, Federal Way, Fife, Sumner, Auburn, Tacoma, Lakewood, Puyallup, Olympia, Lacey and surrounding areas.

Raymond West | Seattle Material Handling Equipment Supplier

6607 S 287th St
Auburn, WA 98001
(253) 333-2100