Using quality loading dock equipment will ensure the efficiency of your warehouse procedures. The best loading equipment allows you to load and unload delivery trucks quicker and safer, while reducing man-hours every week.
Portable loading docks offer any immediate solution to load and unload cargo from nearly any carrier vehicle. Simply placing a portable loading dock in front of a railroad car,
tractor-trailer, van, pickup truck or a dock, forklifts and pallet jacks can gain immediate access in a variety of applications.
Depending on the width of the dock, some offer a 90° turning radius to provide safe maneuvering of the forklift or pallet jack. It is without a doubt the most economical way to expand your docking facilities and increase the capabilities of handling freight without the high expense of creating a concrete working platform. It also extends the ability to maximize the use of an existing dock. Its portability provides an extension of its functionality because it can change locations or be disassembled for storage.
Various industries and companies use portable loading docks. Those companies include: auto dealers, government agencies, hospitals, schools, shipyards, importers & exporters and transportation companies. The portable docks are effective because they increase safety and minimize the risk of injury. They help reduce labor costs by diminishing the time necessary to load and unload cargo.
The features of a portable loading dock include:
• Ability to Tow – Portable loading docks allow for towing transfer. Many are designed to be towed long distances using a tow-bar connected to any truck or large pickup truck. Portable docks offer the same capabilities of a yard dock ramp without an attached undercarriage.
• A Solid Platform – Even though most portable loading docks are fabricated with wheels, they become a one-piece solid platform by harnessing together with the carrier vehicle. Cinching the dock ramp to the carrier vehicle using heavy duty chains marries the two pieces into one solid unit.
• Versatility – These types of portable platforms are extremely versatile. They can be set up to be used on a variety of even and uneven surfaces. Built with a hydraulic jack, the platforms can be lifted to varying heights to match the level of the carrier vehicle.
• Level Platform – Most portable docks are built with the level platform at the high-end of the ramp. This provides an opportunity to move the forklift or pallet jack across an even level platform before entering the carrier vehicle. This design maximizes operator safety and productivity.
• Creative Design – Due to its lightweight design, the portable ramp can be easily moved or repositioned to accommodate a variety of outside applications. Because portable docks are primarily used outdoors, they are fabricated with an open-faced material to provide a non-skid surface, during any inclement weather.
• Dock Expansion – Many warehouse facilities use portable docks as a way to extend or expand their docking facility.
Portable loading docks work well when used in conjunction with other material handling equipment including truck dock boards, rail dock boards, dock plates, wheel risers, walkways, gangways, stabilizing jacks and wheel chocks.
Whatever you call them – a forklift ramp, mobile deck system, mobile yard ramp, heavy-duty loading ramp, portable loading docks, or mobile loading docks – they can be purchased new or used, and even rented at some facilities.
