Edge-O-Dock Levelers vs Traditional Dock Levelers

The first priority in any warehouse or factory should always be safety. Loading and unloading shipments is one of the more dangerous elements of doing business for many companies, so taking the necessary steps to create a safe dock environment will go a long way toward keeping both employees and valuable cargo out of harm’s way.

The Benefit of Dock Levelers

The simple truth of loading docks is that while sizes are somewhat standardized, dock heights do vary. A second complicating factor is that truck trailer heights also vary from one to another. Dock levelers provide a bridge that ensures the safe loading and unloading of freight when there is a height difference between the trailer and the dock. Having a smooth, level path on which to load and unload freight makes the process safer and far more efficient.

Edge-O-Dock Levelers vs Traditional Dock Levelers

HOF Equipment Company carries two primary types of Vestil dock levelers. Traditional Vestil Dock levelers are placed in the loading zone at the front of the dock. This type of leveler stands by at the dock floor level to allow cross traffic to pass over it. When a truck enters the dock, the leveler is raised up (either manually via mechanical operation or hydraulically via push button) and the outside lip is extended. The leveler is then lowered until the lip overlaps the trailer bed forming a bridge onto the trailer.

Vestil Edge-O-Dock levelers are designed to be easy to install. They are bolted or welded onto the outside edge of the loading dock which uses less dock space and reduces the risk of pinched fingers or toes. Operation is basically the same as a traditional dock leveler in that the lip is raised up, extended, and then dropped down to overlap the trailer bed. Edge-O-Dock levelers are generally less expensive than traditional models, making them a good choice for businesses with tighter budgets.

Dock leveler operation can be electric hydraulic or mechanical (manual). Due a higher per unit price tag and electrical requirements on the dock, hydraulic dock levelers require a larger upfront investment. Electric hydraulic levelers use a simple one-button design: the operator simply presses the raise button until the leveler reaches the height required to clear the trailer and then releases the button to lower the lip onto the trailer bed.

Manual mechanical levelers are manually raised via the operator pulling a chain or lever which raises the leveler and extends the lip. Next, in the case of a traditional dock leveler, the operator must put weight on the leveler by stepping on it to push the lip down to overlap the trailer bed (for edge-o-docks this step generally happens via lever actuation). Mechanical dock levelers require more physical labor to operate but have smaller needs in terms of maintenance.

For more information about dock levelers or any of our other products please visit www.hofequipment.com or contact us at 888.990.1150 with any questions.