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As the primary area to move product in and out of the warehouse, your loading dock equipment is heavily used throughout the month. Like your forklifts, a regular maintenance schedule will help keep your loading dock equipment working efficiently and safely.
Maintenance Frequency
The frequency of loading dock equipment maintenance will vary by company, but it often ranges from every 90 – 180 days. When determining the best schedule, consider your daily traffic level on the dock.
A complete inspection takes approximately 1 hour per loading dock position. To keep service personnel and employees safe, loading dock equipment cannot be operated while it’s being serviced. It is a good practice to place bright signage and safety cones inside and outside the warehouse to notify employees of the work in progress.
Planned Maintenance Inspection
Three primary areas are inspected during loading dock equipment maintenance: dock leveler, dock door and vehicle restraint. After inspection these areas are then tested to confirm the equipment meets standards.
Dock Leveler
Your dock leveler forms a bridge between the warehouse and trailer. Exposed to weather, employees and product, the dock leveler poses a fire hazard as dirt and debris is accumulated. It also has several moving parts that affect performance and safety. A thorough, front-to-back inspection under the dock leveler is the key to finding broken or worn parts.
Dock leveler failures affect employee safety. An employee that manually adjusts a skewed dock leveler may find his hands or feet pinched in the equipment, or a forklift operator may become stuck between the loading dock and trailer.
Key areas inspected: pit, dock bumpers, hinges, lip spools & pins, welds, cylinders, springs and ramp control.
Dock Door
The dock door creates the external barrier, sealing off the warehouse to outside. A door that will not properly lock or latch leaves your warehouse exposed and vulnerable to theft. It also forces unsafe practices by employees to prop the door up with brooms, screwdrivers or other items. Some may also experience muscle strain from manually opening and closing the door.
Key areas inspected: door jambs & headers, guides, tracks, seals, locks, control box, wiring, springs and cables.
Vehicle Restraint
A vehicle restraint is used to connect and secure the trailer to the loading dock. The restraint prevents vehicles being loaded or unloaded from pulling away from the loading dock or making an unscheduled departure. Light communication may also be part of the vehicle restraint system, which provides visual “stop” and “go” signals for semi-drivers and forklift operators. If the restraint fails, an early departure may cause the forklift and its operator to fall off the loading dock or be trapped inside a moving trailer.
Key areas inspected: dock bumpers, fasteners, welds, control box, signage, light box and wiring.
Common Loading Dock Equipment Repairs
Based on customer maintenance, our ProLift Dock & Door service team notes these loading dock equipment repairs as being most common.
- Mis-adjustments: with several moving parts, springs and other key items become misaligned. To return to its top functionality, adjustments and lubrication need to be made per manufacturer guidelines.
- Seals: when light can be seen through the doors, it’s an indicator of deterioration of the seals. This breakdown is normal, but can accelerate if forklifts and products rub the frames of the door.
- Broken Welds: metal flexes when a forklift drives across and over time it can become cracked or broken. When a break occurs, production at the loading dock should be halted immediately.
Schedule loading dock equipment maintenance with ProLift! Our service technicians are trained to provide a thorough inspection and test operation, and will advise you of any items that require replacement or repair.
Schedule Maintenance