Loading docks are busy and congested areas, and maintaining a good safety plan can ensure that your business minimizes costly and business interrupting incidents.

Truck Restraints

When trailers enter a dock bay, ensuring that the trailer remains stationary is essential to the safety of your employees. As lift trucks drive on and off trailers and cargo is added or removed, substantial weight transitions ensue. When trailers are jostled they will move unless they are securely tethered in place by some form of restraint system.

Any time a trailer is accidentally moved, it is referred to as “trailer creep.” This is exceptionally hazardous for a lift truck operator, as the dock plate is disconnected from the trailer. A lift truck can easily plummet from the dock edge, ending up in serious bodily harm or death.

Another consideration is unintended drive offs. Drivers may occasionally depart from the dock before cargo transfer is concluded due to oversight or miscommunication. If a forklift is engaged when a trailer pulls away it can be disastrous.

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

Trailer Restraints (Dock Locks)

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

Many times, truck restraints are wired directly into the signal lights and dock leveler on a dock bay, so that they can’t be detached if the door is open, the dock leveler is engaged or the truck driver hasn’t been instructed to proceed by the dock operator. Having safeguards like these can be advantageous on any high traffic loading dock and can substantially reduce safety incidents.

Wheel Chocks

The most basic way to hold a trailer in place is to chock the wheels. Wouldn’t it make more sense to just use wheel chocks instead of an expensive restraint system? Although basic wheel chocks can easily hold a vehicle in place, there are several risks:

• Forgetful employees can occasionally neglect to put chocks in place
• A sloped or uneven approach can make chocks fail if they aren’t placed correctly
• Wheel chocks can get lost, and busy employees may choose to not use them instead of falling behind
• Setting wheel chocks often requires workers to get low to 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 vehicle restraints or additional dock safety equipment, get in touch with a dock and door expert at Raymond West today.

Raymond West's Tucson facility serves Pima County, including Tucson, South Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, Sahuarita and surrounding areas

Raymond West | Tucson Material Handling Equipment Supplier

Tucson Service Area
(520) 729-4222