06 Feb Top 4 Dock Equipment Products to Increase Efficiency for your Business!

If your business involves loading and unloading of product, you likely have a dock. When workers unload deliveries, it can be time-consuming, taking them away from other tasks. Increasing the efficiency of your dock operations is paramount, so consider these top 4 dock equipment products to boost your effectiveness and productivity.

1. Dock Lights

No matter what your business, you need adequate lighting in your dock for fast and effective loading and unloading. Depending on the nature of your business, you may even get deliveries at all hours of the day and night! Proper dock lighting is essential, even if you only operate during daylight hours, as dock doors, hoods and seals can block off daylight, increasing your reliance on artificial lights sources. Dock lights are mounted on a movable arm that can be positioned inside the truck to give enough lighting for the unloading process. This means you can quickly get the light you need to safely load and unload from your dock, increasing your efficiency and loading speed.

2. Dock Seals or Shelters

Bad weather can slow down efficiency. When it rains, your workers may not be able to unload the truck as it could damage the product and lead to injuries. Rain and snow can easily create water damage in an uncovered dock and generate slip hazards that put your workers at risk. Dock shelters protect against wet weather conditions by providing overhead protection to keep things dry. Dock seals are also a great option in cold climates to create a completely closed pathway between warehouse and truck.

3. Dock Levelers

Loading and unloading can be dangerous work, especially when the truck and the dock are at two different heights. Uneven dock and truck heights also really slow work down and make it harder to use unloading equipment to complete the job efficiently.

Dock levelers help to correct the height difference between your dock and the truck. A dock leveler is a platform that can be adjusted to the correct height to bridge the gap between the truck and the dock. There are spring, hydraulic, and air-powered options for dock levelers, with hydraulic and air-powered levelers being the fastest and most efficient.

4. Dock Bumpers

The main reason to use dock bumpers is to protect your dock from damage. When trucks back up to meet the dock, if they go too far, they might hit the dock. Your dock is essential and expensive to repair. Any necessary repairs will cost you money for the repair itself and for the time lost. Damage and subsequent repair to your dock also slows or halts your business operations, making you less efficient, productive and profitable. With dock bumpers, your dock is protected from the over-enthusiastic truck!

Dock bumpers can also help guide the truck driver when they back up to park at the dock. This is more efficient because the truck driver can more quickly back up, park, and start the loading or unloading process. In general, bumpers are going to get the loading process completed faster, which means greater efficiency for your business overall.

Commercial garage door and dock specialists are the experts to talk to if you’re looking for ways to improve the efficiency of your business. With expert advice, diagnostics and rapid service for docks and dock equipment, Frontier Pacific can ensure your business operations function more effortlessly and smoothly to boost your efficiency and productivity.