The warehousing and logistics industries rely on quite a bit of technology in their everyday operations these days, and of these technological advancements, the dock leveler is one that has truly added a great deal of convenience to the field. Dock levelers have become ubiquitous for the loading and unloading of trucks and trailers, thanks to their ease of use and their ability to reduce chances of accidents and damaged freight.
Let’s take a quick look into dock levelers and why dock leveling in McDonough, GA is such an important practice in the warehousing industry.
About dock levelers
Dock levelers are permanently installed pieces of equipment that are placed next to the door of a dock. There is a metal plate (a lip) that gets lowered onto the body of the trailer or truck. This removes the gap between the back of the truck or trailer and the dock, making it far easier to get cargo in or out.
Dock levelers are responsible for a variety of functions, and come in telescopic and hinged varieties. Some of the most common kinds of dock levelers include:
- Air powered: These dock levelers are simple and economical, relying on compressed air. They are easy to maintain and do not feature too many moving parts. Their lack of required maintenance makes them a low-cost investment for all kinds of businesses.
- Hydraulic: There are some loading docks that require higher volumes of loading and unloading, in which case a hydraulic dock leveler is likely to be an ideal fit. These are highly powerful pieces of equipment, capable of handling docks that see a lot of cargo coming through.
- Mechanical: If there is no power supply at the loading dock, then a mechanical leveler is the best bet. It’ll generally be operated by a chain or spring.
Why dock levelers?
Here are just a few reasons why dock levelers are such important pieces of equipment to have for a loading dock.
- They’re capable of carrying very heavy loads while remaining sturdy and reliable.
- They are specially designed to absorb shocks and bumps during the loading and unloading process, which helps to keep the cargo more stable and better protected.
- They allow for much smoother transitions between trailers and docks, which means greater safety and injury prevention, as well as prevention of damage to the cargo coming in and out of the vehicles.
- Their ease of use and ability to withstand large loads makes them an outstanding means of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of loading and unloading operations.
- Dock levelers have low maintenance costs and requirements because of the low number of parts and the durability of the material.
- There are many dock levelers that can easily be integrated with motorized forklifts, allowing you to get the most out of equipment you likely already have.
For more dock level information in McDonough, GA, including tips on why you should invest in a dock leveler and how to use it, we encourage you to reach out to Affordable Dock & Door today.