How Does a Dock Leveller Work to Improve Safety and Efficiency

13 May How Does a Dock Leveller Work to Improve Safety and Efficiency

Imagine it’s a normal, busy morning at your distribution centre: forklifts are busy working across the warehouse, delivery schedules are tight, and a fully loaded HGV has just reversed into the loading bay. But there’s a problem. The trailer bed isn’t level with the warehouse floor. Now there’s a dangerous gap that could lead to damaged goods, strained backs, or worse. 

That’s where dock levellers come in. 

Whether you operate in logistics, warehousing, manufacturing, or retail, dock levellers are useful tools for ensuring safe and efficient loading and unloading. 

In this blog, we’ll explore how dock levellers work and why investing in a reliable, well-maintained system is important for keeping operations running seamlessly. 

What is a dock leveller? 

A dock leveller is a platform designed to bridge the height and distance between a loading dock and a truck or trailer bed. It might sound simple, but it solves a major logistical headache: the fact that vehicle beds come in all shapes and sizes. Without a way to span those vertical and horizontal gaps, workers are forced to slow down, lift goods manually, or take dangerous risks. 

Dock levellers adjust to the height of the truck, creating a level path for forklifts, pallet trucks or trolleys to move goods in and out of the vehicle. 

This is the main type of dock leveller available: 

Hydraulic dock levellers – The top choice for busy or automated warehouses. They are powered by hydraulic cylinders and controlled via a button or panel. They’re fast and ideal for high-volume environments.

There are 2 types of electric/hydraulic dock leveller – 

Swing Lip – these are either suspended or pit mounted and have a lip which is usually 500mm deep and swings from its parked position to sit on the truck bed. The truck is kept at the correct distance by the dock bumpers.

Main advantages of the swing lip leveller:

• Cost effective 
• Minimal maintenance 
• Easy to operate and can be one button operation 
• 6,000kg and 10,000kg capacity 
• Bespoke sizes to replace aged dock levellers or new installations
• Options of support legs for internal or external installations. 

Telescopic – this has a sliding lip section that when the dock rises it slides forwards to the correct distance to sit on the truck bed. 

Main advantages of telescopic lip dock levellers:

• Able to operate at a greater range of heights – to allow for lower or higher truck bed heights 
• 6,000kg and 10,000kg capacity 
• Can be installed in lower dock height level 
• Work with container or double deck trailers with lower deck
• Longer lip allows a lower incline of the dock leveller

The best fit depends on your site layout, loading volume and budget. At RDS, we help clients choose the right dock leveller to meet their unique operational needs.

How does a dock leveller work?

When a delivery truck reverses into the bay, the dock leveller system will operate once the loading bay door is fully open, and depending on the type, the process will vary slightly: 

• Hydraulic – A simple button press on the control panel activates the system.

Here’s what happens next: The process is the same for swing lip and telescopic lip dock levellers.

1. The platform lifts upward from the dock pit.
2. The lip extends outward and rests on the bed of the tuck when lowered.
3. The platform gently lowers until it’s flush with the trailer surface.
4. Forklifts, pallet trucks, or trolleys safely travel across the leveller to load or unload goods.
5. Once complete, the platform retracts and stores itself neatly in the dock pit, ready for the next job.

The key components of a dock leveller include:

• Platform: The main surface that adjusts in height.
• Lip: The front flap that bridges the gap to the truck.
• Hydraulic cylinders: Used in powered systems to control movement.
• Safety legs: Prevent the platform from collapsing in the event of failure.
• Bumpers: Absorb truck impact and protect the dock face.
• Controls: An electrical control panel.

Importantly, the leveller moves slightly with the vehicle as it shifts during loading. This “float” movement keeps the platform level and stable, even as the trailer rocks under the weight of goods.

How dock levellers improve safety 

Without dock levellers, workers are vulnerable to injuries caused by uneven surfaces or dangerous gaps. A well-installed dock leveller reduces these hazards by creating a zone that supports workers and equipment. 

5 other key safety benefits of dock levellers include:

1. Stability for forklifts and pallet trucks, reducing the risk of tipping or load spills.
2. Minimised manual lifting, reducing back injuries and improving ergonomics.
3. Compatibility with vehicle restraint systems such as wheel chocks or automatic restraints, which stop trucks from moving during loading.
4. Compliance with health and safety regulations, including PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations) and LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations), is essential for maintaining a legally compliant workplace.
5. Reduced dock and vehicle damage. Over time, repeated impacts or misalignment can make docks unsafe or unusable.

How dock levellers enhance operational efficiency 

While safety is the most significant benefit, efficiency is where dock levellers deliver tangible ROI. 

Downtime and delays in the loading bay can ripple through the entire supply chain. 

Here’s how dock levellers remove common bottlenecks, allowing your operations to run faster and smoother: 

• They reduce delays caused by misalignment or uneven ground, allowing for quick, smooth vehicle turnaround.
• They lower maintenance costs by reducing wear and tear on forklifts and dock edges – less wear means fewer repair bills.
• They support high-throughput operations, enabling goods to move in and out quickly, ideal for next-day delivery schedules.
• When using a hydraulic model, there is less reliance on manual labour, freeing up staff for more skilled tasks.
• They enable full dock automation, working in sync with high-speed doors, vehicle restraints, and other smart loading bay tech.

Why choose RDS?

At RDS, we have 40 years of experience supplying, installing, and maintaining dock levellers for facilities in any industry all across the UK. 

We understand that every loading bay is different, which is why we offer a tailored service that accounts for site layout, vehicle traffic and operational needs. 

We supply all main types of hydraulic dock levellers and support you at every stage with: 

• Detailed site surveys
• Expert installation
• Regular preventative maintenance
• Fast, reliable emergency repairs

With nationwide coverage and a team of expert engineers, we’re here to ensure your loading bays are safe, efficient and always ready to go. 

For more information on how our dock leveller solutions can improve your safety and keep your business moving forward, don’t hesitate to get in touch today.