Loading dock

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A loading dock is an architectural fixture where trucks may be loaded and unloaded and should only be serviced or repaired by a trained service company. They are commonly found on commercial and industrial buildings.

Dock levelers can be operated via mechanical(spring), hydraulic, or air powered systems.

Warehouses that handle palletized freight use a dock leveler, so items can be easily loaded and unloaded using power moving equipment (e.g. a forklift). When a truck backs into such a loading dock, the bumpers on the loading dock and the bumpers on the trailer come into contact and create a gap; also, the warehouse floor and the trailer deck may not be horizontally aligned. The most common dock height is 48” – 52”, though heights of up to 55" occur as well. A dock leveler bridges the gap between a truck and a warehouse to accommodate a forklift.

Where it is not practical to install permanent concrete loading docks, or for temporary situations, then it is common to use a mobile version of the loading dock often called a yard ramp.

A loading dock at the New Research Building, Harvard Medical School.

Typical warehouse exterior showing loading docks

A reinforced concrete loading dock under construction.

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