Dock Locks vs. Wheel Chocks: Why Dok-Loks® Are the Smart, Easy Choice

The loading dock can be a dangerous place, no matter which side of the trailer you’re on. In fact, loading dock separation accidents lead to a significant number of injuries every single year. Considering there are 100,000 dock crossings per leveler each year, companies need to focus on making the loading dock as safe as possible for their people, product and equipment by keeping trailers secure and creating a seamless extension of their building from leveler bed to trailer floor. 

Risks with Simple Wheel Chocks 

A wheel chock is a block shaped like a wedge typically made from rubber, wood or plastic or metal that is placed behind a tire to try to prevent accidental movement. 

Although wheel chocks serve as a proactive step toward employee safety and cargo security by trying to keep trailers stationary during (un)loading, they are oftentimes no match against the power of a vehicle. Simply made from rubber, plastic or wood, traditional wheel chocks place your people at risk. 

While they are portable and seemingly cost-efficient, wheel chocks often slip, get misplaced, are stolen or crushed, and are hindered by weather conditions. They also require physical placement by employees – which means people are directly in harm’s way on the drive approach. With a tractor trailer’s engine often over 70’ away, mixed with ambient noise and busy tasks, it’s no wonder semis are the second leading cause of backover fatalities in the United States.

If wheel chocks are the only option for your application and budget, there are ways to make wheel chocks smarter while also setting your operations up for easy vehicle restraint implementation once ready. 

Another issue with simple wheel chocks is the lack of communication between the truck driver, lift operator, and dock personnel regarding the loading status. This increases risk because there is nothing physically restraining the trailer, meaning a driver can easily pull away while the chocks are in place, putting material handlers at risk.

Another issue with simple wheel chocks is the lack of communication between the truck driver, lift operator, and dock personnel regarding the loading status. Once a trailer back into position, facilities rely on a worker physically placing the chocks between trailer tires. Once placed, there is no way to confirm that the chocks are in proper position. 

• On the exterior, the truck driver has no visibility into current (un) loading operations and can pull away whenever they believe loading has been completed – which could be based on time allotted for loading, the mistaken sound of someone hitting their truck to signal it's complete or other mixed signals. 
• On the interior, dock workers and material handling personnel are entering and exiting the trailer without confirmation that the chock has not moved – placing themselves at risk of attempting to enter the trailer while the truck pulls away. And the risk is real at 7% of all reported forklift accidents involve the forklift falling off the edge of dock. 

With these complex risks for a simple for a simple chock in mind, it is imperative facilities consider making an investment into more productive and reliable total dock safety solutions.

What is a dock lock?

Also known as vehicle restraints, truck restraints, or trailer restraints, dock locks are devices that secure a vehicle in place to the loading dock during (un) loading operations. Invented by Rite-Hite in 1980, they were created as a more reliable trailer restraining solution compared to wheel chocks to help further prevent accidents and injuries around the loading docks. 

Smart Dok-Lok^® Vehicle Restraints 

Dok-Lok vehicle restraints were designed to address dynamic industry challenges and regulatory compliance in trailer and loading dock design. Unlike traditional “simple” wheel chocks, they provide constant restraint status inside and outside via light communication and offer push-button operation which does not require workers to step out on the dangerous drive approach. 

Dok-Loks from Rite-Hite include features that not only help improve employee safety and efficiency but also increase security and reduce equipment and product damage. For example:

• Unlike many competitors, a light communication system comes standard with all Rite-Hite vehicle restraints since 1980, including manual models, Wheel-Loks™ and Global Wheel Chock systems.
• Dok-Loks further elevate loading dock safety with a combination of motion detection, line-of-sight light communication and audible & visual alarms which provide 24/7 safety even when a trailer is not present. These hazard recognition and control systems help protect people on and off forklifts, inside and outside the loading dock. 
• There is a vehicle restraint for every application, backed by a completed site survey of each position to ensure proper installation for each piece of equipment. Whether you have liftgates or AGVs or specialty, heavy-duty applications, there is a vehicle restraint for you. 
• Exclusive third-generation contoured rotating hook which provides 20% more wrap than competitive restraints. For applications with intermodal containers or obstructed RIGs, Dok-Loks either come standard or can be easily upgraded with Shadow Hook technology which creates an additional 5" vertical barrier for obstructions. 

For a total dock safety solution, Dok-Lok controls can be integrated into a safe sequence of operations to ensure dock workers follow the correct sequence of equipment operation to reduce equipment faults, product damage and the risk of accidents. The Dok-Commander® Combined Control Panel takes it one step further by including loading dock leveler, overhead door, safety barriers and more into one seamless customizable sequence based on your application's needs. Lastly, Dok-Lok vehicle restraints are smart, connected with the Rite-Hite ONE digital platform which provides visibility at the dock position, facility or enterprise-wide level. Empowering facilities to make data-driven decisions around safety, productivity and maintenance, Rite-Hite ONE allows facility and safety managers to act on insights and drive sustainable behavioral change. 

Help Reduce Risk and Improve Loading Dock Productivity

While it isn't possible to prevent all loading dock risks, it is possible to keep your employees safer by incorporating solutions such as Dok-Lok vehicle restraints. With over 45 years of proven staying power, dock locks are preferred trailer restraining solutions compared to simple wheel chocks as they provide 24/7 safety with constant light communication, hazard recognition and control and smart, connected capabilities that keep dock workers safe even if a trailer is not present. 

Learn More About Dok-Loks Today!