FIX LOW LOADING DOCKS WITHOUT PERMANENT CONSTRUCTION

The Challenge

The customer’s facility featured low loading docks that sat 24″ below standard trailer heights, creating a significant level-off gap for incoming vehicles. Because the customer operated both forklifts and pallet jacks, they required a heavy-duty leveling solution capable of handling high-capacity loads. As tenants on a short-term lease, permanent building modifications (i.e. cutting into their concrete building floor) were not an option, and they couldn’t afford to sacrifice valuable internal storage or staging space to add an interior ramp.

The Solution

Two 12’ Exterior Dock Levelers were enclosed in a Dock House for a +/- 18″ service range, bridging the gap between their building floor and the incoming vehicles. The Dock House was sided with Insulated Metal Panels, with a R-30 insulation value, to combat the harsh Minnesota climate and allow the facility to remain fully sealed against the elements. And, thanks to the exterior install, the customer could keep the main warehouse door closed securely on the concrete floor to maintain interior temperatures when the docks are not in use.

The Results

By bypassing the need for floor demolition or building modifications, the company gained a high-performance dock solution that functions as a depreciable equipment asset. They can now unbolt and relocate the units if they move at the end of their lease. Employees now work in a warmer, safer environment, and the company has successfully optimized its shipping operations without sacrificing a single square foot of warehouse storage.