Dock Fundamentals You
Need To Know in Miami, FL

Load and Unload Easily With Proper Dock Equipment

Pick a functional dock leveling system in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Hialeah, FL And Throughout South East Florida

Your company is one-of-a-kind. You have specific needs based on the product or service you provide. DOCKS.N.DOORS in Miami, Fort Lauderdale & Hialeah, Florida knows this and offers loading dock accessories designed specifically for a variety of industries. If you operate a distribution center, we can provide traffic lights and smart panels to control your doors. We are also well equipped to repair or install everything from dock levelers to weather guards and seals to keep your loading dock clean.

Speak with our loading dock specialist now at DOCKS.N.DOORS in Miami, Fort Lauderdale & Hialeah, Florida by calling (786) 258-8851. We service throughout South East Florida.

What Is A Loading Dock?

Learn The Importance Behind Loading Dock Equipment

A loading dock is an elevated opening in a building where the shipment is staged for loading and unloading. Dock equipment is design to ensure the safety of workers and loads.

The typical loading equipment includes:

Attachment to bridge the gap between the building and the truck
Attachment to secure the truck to the building
Communication system between the building and the driver of the truck
Weather protection
Lighting to illuminate the inside of the trailer

Bridging The Gap

The following devices are used to bridge the gap between the building and the truck as well as align the elevation of the warehouse deck and the floor of the truck.

Dock board or dock plate: It is a portable plate that can be placed manually or with a forklift between the deck and the truck. Low cost and long setup times.
Dock ramp or yard ramp: A portable metal ramp with curbs and wheels that is pushed into position at the rear of the truck to provide a bridge down to the ground level.
Dock leveler: A mechanical, hydraulically or air-powered plate located at the dock entrance that can be raised and lowered to accommodate trailer floor heights, usually +12”/-12” gap from the deck height.
Edge-of-dock (EOD): Like the dock leveler but instead of being embedded in the warehouse deck floor, it is installed on the face of the building and has a +6”/-6” range from the deck.
Dock Lift: A scissor lift mechanism with a general range of 5 feet to lift the surface up to the level of the trailer. It is common when there is no direct access to the building.

Truck Safety

The following are used to secure the truck to the dock face and ensure that it does not roll or shift away.

Dock Bumpers: piece of rubber placed at the floor level of a dock opening to cushion the building from the truck trailer impact.
Wheel Chocks: triangular block of rubber, wood or metal placed in front of, between or behind truck wheels to prevent trailer movement.
Trailer Restraint: a mechanical or hydraulic device attached to the dock face that connects to the trailer to prevent its movement.

Lighting

Lighting is often used to both illuminate the work area in the trailer as well to communicate from the personnel at the dock with the truck driver.

Communication Lights: Like traffic signals operating in pairs. The exterior light signals the driver when is safe to dock the vehicle of depart from the dock. The interior notifies personnel in the warehouse that a vehicle is present at the loading bay.
Illumination Light: Mainly to illuminate the work area, particularly into the trailer or shipping container to help personnel do their jobs safely.

Weather Protection

For dock areas that are exposed to the elements, there are a variety of devices used to protect workers. These include:

Loading dock door: like a residential garage door, these are retractable doors that can be made of panels or curtains to separate the inside of the building from the outside weather conditions.
Dock seal: A rubber covered pad that projects a few inches from the dock face to seal the gap between the dock and the trailer’s opening. Providing energy savings to include a barrier of temperature transfer between the building and the outside.
Dock shelter: A cover that can be extended to protect the opening between the door opening and the truck opening from the weather. A canopy on the top and side panels projecting from the building. Mainly used for rain and snow.