8 Signs That You Need New Dock Levelers
Learn to spot damage signs in your warehouse dock levelers
While dock levelers allow you to efficiently complete your loading and unloading jobs, they experience tremendous wear and tear over time and need to be replaced. To ensure smooth and safe work, it’s essential you’re able to evaluate and identify the signs you need a new dock leveler.
1. The lip is bent or cracked
The sturdy design of loading dock levelers can quickly be compromised if the lip is bent or cracked. Because the lip is a smaller dock leveler part, it can be easily damaged – and must be replaced.
2. The lip won’t fully extend
The lip’s main job is to extend and create a bridge, but if it fails to extend, the loading dock leveler is useless. This issue can be caused by numerous problems and will put the leveler out of commission.
3. The dock is below floor level
A loading dock leveler only functions properly if the dock is perfectly aligned with the floor. If the dock is off kilt and below floor level, the dock leveler will not work correctly.
4. The dock is above floor level
Like the loading dock leveler being below floor level, the same negative effects can occur if the dock is above floor level. A misaligned dock is a serious safety issue and can cause tripping and other potential accidents.
5. The loading dock leveler is rusting
Overused loading dock levelers often suffer from extreme rusting – a typical indication of a dock leveler that needs to be replaced. Rust, which can build up due to using the dock outside, can reduce effectiveness and should be replaced to prevent accidents.
6. The beam welds are damaged
A common sign that indicates you need to replace your dock leveler is beam weld cracking. An effective mechanical dock leveler operation requires solid beams to prevent issues. If your beams aren’t secure or intact, your dock leveler needs to be replaced.
7. There is excessive oil build-up
The dock pit can be damaged over time due to excessive oil build-up. It’s paramount to perform routine checks to the pit to ensure there is not a build-up – and, if there is, it’s time to replace your dock leveler.
8. The dock isn’t rising properly
With multiple deliveries in one day, it is critical to ensure your dock leveler is working efficiently, which means the dock is rising at a proper speed. If it’s rising slowly, there could be an issue with the hydraulic levelers.
A broken dock leveler can result in the loss of money, jobs and potential injury. It’s important to find the right solutions to your operations, so call us today and get a free quote for warehouse and material handling solutions.