The function of steel truck dock boards is fairly obvious. The Dock board bridges the gap between the end of you dock and the truck that you are loading or unloading. Drop the dock board in place, then you can safety load and unload the truck. However, there is one very important step to implement before deploying any dock boards. Many accidents happen when a trucker pulls away from a dock thinking the loading or unloading is done, but there is still a forklift operator in the truck.
The least expensive solution to this problem is using wheel chocks. When a truck’s wheels are chocked, it can not move. An operator controlled stop light is another. The best solution is a mechanized truck bar grabber. A Plus warehouse sells the ICC bar restrainer – virtually locking the truck into place until the forklift operator hits a button and releases the clamp.
Further on the application of dock boards, some prefer aluminum dock boards. Aluminum is quite a bit lighter than steel, and not much weight capacity is lost for this weight saving. There are a few families of product to consider. We have product produced by Bluff, Vestil, and Magline as well. We sell integrated as well as bolt on curbs. Customers have their own preference on curbs – we just insist that curbed dock boards are used in forklift and power pallet truck operation. A Plus Warehouse feels so strongly on this, that we will no knowingly sell a hand dock plate for powered application, even if the plate capacity is adequate. With us, safety trumps all. Bluff makes a blue pin and red pin dock board. These are unique as no other dock boards allow you to lock the unit in position. The red pin has a continuous strip on either side for the greatest range of usability. The blue pin model has 2 mini strips, limiting the range slightly, but still better than the traditional board.
There are some issues to keep in mind in ordering a dock board from A Plus Warehouse. Is this a hand truck application? If so, you should save money and order a dock plate. What is your capacity including the forklift. Lowest capacity is 6,000 pounds, and the heaviest duty standard board will have a capacity of 20,000 pounds. 30,000 pound capacity and more is available by special order. Do you prefer Aluminum or Steel? Do you want lifting loops for easier positioning by forklift? Finally, what is you maximum height differential below and above the dock? Dock boards are designed with fixed leg lengths and a lip. We publish allowable height differentials. To exhibit an absurd case, a forklift can’t move on a 30 degree angle. A typical differential is about 10 inches, and it varies by the type of equipment you operate. A propane powered forklift has a different length than a powered pallet truck, obviously.
We are your dock board source, please call us at 800-209-8798 and let us prove our value.
