Selecting a Dock Leveler for your business - Beaton Industrial

Selecting a Dock Leveler

Gross total weight of loads and handling equipment should be determined in the selection of dock leveler capacity. In order to provide a proper margin of safety, consideration should also be given to the moving impact made by the gross load when traveling across the dock leveler. The number of shifts and subsequent duty cycles during which the dock leveler will be used is another important consideration in choosing a dock leveler. Contact Beaton Industrial to discuss the dock leveler capacity required for your application.

High use areas or multiple shift operations where dock levelers are used continually may warrant consideration of heavier duty units, or hydraulic operation to reduce total lift-time costs.

Dock height will determine the grade percentage from dock to vehicle. The general selection criterion is the maximum grade percentage from dock to vehicle:
When using electric powered handling equipment it is 10%, and for gas or diesel powered equipment 15%. Exceeding these grade percentages may result in equipment “hang up”, damage to handling equipment and load spillage.

Grade of dock areas in conjunction with types of vehicles being serviced should be considered. An inclined dock may necessitate a projected dock area to prevent damage to building walls from oncoming vehicles. Specialized vehicles such as refrigerated trailers may require longer dock leveler lips, as may trucks with extended tailgates. Refer to page 3 – sloped driveway program.

A pour-in dock leveler eliminates the need for pit forming. However, a pour-in has to be installed when the concrete slab is poured, many months before it is actually required.
A pit installed dock leveler is installed into a previously constructed pit at the later stages of building construction. The best features of both styles can be obtained by using Blue Giant kits during installation. A pit kit is a set of per-fabricated steel panels that are bolted on site to yield a true, square pit for less money than wood frames.

Blue Giant manufactures a range of vehicle restraints to reduce the hazards of unscheduled truck departure. We also offer hydraulic door and dock guard protection for when the overhead door is open and no truck is present.

If it is anticipated that dock use or load capacity will increase or vary in the future, certain features may be more economically viable to install initially:
Heavier capacity units
Longer dock leveler lips
Hydraulic versus mechanical operation
Vehicle restraint systems