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How to overcome a loading dock bay???
jonabonospen - 3/10/15 at 01:49 PM

Just looking at moving business premises and am wanting a unit where I can pull a car / van inside. Well I found a unit with great potential, but behind the roller shutter door there is an artic truck style loading dock (imagine a massive 5ft or so high concrete step up from floor level outside to warehouse floor level inside). Previous tenant was some kind of race car team or something and I guess for them it was ideal as they could pull the truck up to the loading dock and just drive the cars straight out and in to the unit. I also want to be able to bring motorbikes in and out, and pallets too.

So what I am wondering is what the best way is to overcome this??

Installing a ramp is not really practical because there isnt really enough length to get a ramp in with a suitable incline, plus would be difficult to get pallets dragged up it.

I did think of installing a 4 poster mechanics type lift and getting a fabricator to make me some kind of adaptation to fill the middle of the lift in so that bikes and pallets could also be safely put on it to lift. Then I could drive the car on at one end, raise the lift, then have some plates to drive the car off the other end when up at warehouse floor level.

Any body got any other suggestions? Anybody know of a car sized scissor lift type thing you can buy?

coozer - 3/10/15 at 02:23 PM

Only thing I've ever seen on a dock in an RDC is a ramp, big steel thing about 25 feet long.

Some level docks, thinking Asda store here, have a sissor lift but they don't have a very high load capacity.

The one in the Tescos at Livingstone is up to the job for getting into double deck trailers but is huge! And, probably very very expensive!!

Some trailers have a full height tail lift. They work off hydraulics, self contained. Maybe install one of them on the dock? You should be able to pick one of them up easily. Again load cap is low but may be just enough for a static application with light cars.

coozer - 3/10/15 at 02:31 PM

This kinda thing?

gremlin1234 - 3/10/15 at 02:46 PM

how about
http://sm-t.co.uk/product/the-donnington-2-post-parking-lift/

John P - 3/10/15 at 03:02 PM

I used to run a company which made scissor lifts for this application but they are quite expensive and you need a shallow pit so the scissor mechanism can fit below the platform when it's down at ground level.

The firm I ran is no longer in existence but a few of the old employees now run their own company so it may be worth asking their advice. They may even be able to source a used scissor lift and fit it for you but it probably still won't be that cheap.

Their web site is at http://www.britannialift.co.uk if you want to give it a try.

John.

MikeR - 3/10/15 at 07:19 PM

Not quite what you want but ..... You can get a metal frame ramp thing that pivots so you drive your car on, get to a certain point and it pivots so it's level. You could make your own. Not perfect but could be a cheaper alternative.

will121 - 4/10/15 at 05:52 AM

May be a lot of work but an option

http://www.mokshaindustries.com/mobile-dock-leveller.html



[Edited on 4/10/15 by will121]

wombat - 4/10/15 at 07:13 AM

You can rent loading dock ramps, try Thorworld

rusty nuts - 4/10/15 at 09:45 AM

Can you not remove it if you don't have a use for it?

jonabonospen - 4/10/15 at 12:34 PM

quote:
Originally posted by rusty nuts
Can you not remove it if you don't have a use for it?


It isnt something that can be "taken out". The internal floor level is about 4 or 5 foot higher than the external level. This external level creeps in to the building for about 5 or 6m say, then there is a 4 or 5 ft vertical concrete step where a wagon would previously have just reversed up to. But we dont have a wagon for this use. We would just bring a car or bike in to this load area and then be met by a 5ft solid concrete step up to the internal floor level.

coyoteboy - 4/10/15 at 02:05 PM

In reality theres only two things you can do - ramp or lift. 'Pick one!