Pit Leveler Vs Dock Leveler

Choosing the right dock leveler for your facility depends on your warehouse or distribution center's needs, including load capacities and budget.pit leveler vs dock leveler Dock levelers are used to bridge the gap between a building dock and a truck trailer, allowing material handling equipment such as pallet jacks or forklifts to easily drive over the truck bed without damaging the loading dock and the cargo inside.

There are two main types of dock levelers: pit style and edge-of-dock (EOD).pit leveler vs dock leveler The type you choose should match your warehouse or distribution center's loading dock height, the size of the gap between the trailer and the dock, and the load weight.

Pit style dock levelers are usually installed into pits that must be formed into the concrete ahead of time. They have a greater operating range, capacity and life expectancy than EOD levelers.

These levelers are typically controlled by hydraulics, with air (pneumatic) or mechanical operation available for a wider range of applications. Some models are designed for durability in heavy-load, high-traffic environments and have a single push-button control station to streamline the loading and unloading process.

The EOD model is mounted directly to a dock face, and it provides a small transition plate between the dock and the truck bed. These models are less expensive than pit levelers, but they have limited height capacities and can only accommodate trucks that are up to five inches taller or lower than the dock. They may also require a mechanical spring system to operate and can be prone to energy loss due to their vertical position on the dock.

While the pit-style dock leveler has long been considered the standard, logistics leaders are rethinking the traditional model and turning to modern exterior mount options. These bolt-on solutions upend the extensive, construction-heavy pit-digging and installation process and can be installed in a matter of days per dock. They are also more durable than traditional pit-style levelers, and they eliminate energy loss by establishing a stronger seal between the building and truck trailer, stabilizing temperature control.

The leveler you choose should also be matched to the height of your facility's truck bay and trailer. The majority of truck beds in the United States are between 44 and 48 inches high, but refrigerated trailers, city delivery trucks and high-cube vans often have much higher or lower dock heights. Make sure your dock leveler is designed to handle these differing heights, or you could encounter problems during shipping operations. You should also consider the leveler's load capacity and speed to determine if it can handle your facility's traffic volume.