Staging and Moving Portable Loading Docks

When buying portable loading docks, you need to plan for how you are going to get them from their storage point to their staging area. If you don’t think this through, you will wind up leaving the docks staged. This not only can interfere with the staging process for phase work, but it can reduce the turn radius in yards. More importantly, portable docks aren’t meant to be left in place as, this shortens their lifespan. Take the time to consider how you will move the docks from place to place, and how you will perform their needed maintenance. Sit down and look at your access and egress paths, and consider the schedule of your equipment when making your plans.

Planning out the access

You may know where you have space for the portable loading docks, and how they will be used, but you also have to consider the space around them too. Staging should take into account the approach of trucks and loaders so that adequate turn radius is allowed. Just because a driver can turn in a tight space doesn’t mean you should leave it to them to do all of that work. The easier it is for them to get in and out, the better your service and efficiency will be.

Knowing when to move the staging areas

Projects lose money when even an hour delay occurs. A part of planning your staging areas is knowing when you need to move them. It is never as simple as just planning to move a dock when a phase has ended. You have to accommodate the staging-in plans of other contractors. If you are using the docks in a permanent yard, you need to make sure that you accommodate the loading schedule as docks will have to be moved to create viable turn radius.

Making sure you have the portable loading docks you need

When planning for your loading docks, take into account everything they can be used for. The most common mistake made is to buy a dock that is dedicated for one use, and not to take into account where the dock could be located to expand its potential. If you have a dock with a load bearing capacity and width to handle a pallet jack, chances are you will want to use it for a forklift as well. It is always best to look at your staging plan so you can really determine what activities will occur around the portable dock so you choose one that is flexible.

After the project is over

The old story goes that when it came time to take the portable loading docks away …  the company didn’t have a loading dock to load the loading docks. Believe it or not, this is a very real problem. Just as you planned the offloading of the docks in the beginning of the project, you need to plan out how you are going to get them off site. The easiest way is to use a lift and flat-bed, but if that is not an option for you make sure that your loading truck has the equipment it needs to lift and load the docks when they are collapsed or dismantled. Advanced planning will save you time and money.

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Article Source: http://bizcovering.com/business/staging-and-moving-portable-loading-docks/

The Case for Portable Loading Docks

A portable loading dock is really a modern marvel when you consider what it can do and replace. You may also want to consider how difficult certain tasks would be without one available. Thanks to portable loading docks, everything from large machinery to basic products can be loaded into a trailer truck with relative ease. The main benefits of these docks can be broken down as:

•Financial
•Functional
•Mobile

Before we get to those, however, let’s take a look at what portable loading docks actually are.

What is a Portable Loading Dock?

All loading docks serve one basic purpose. They are the launching point from where the inventory is to where it will end up, the truck. Conversely, if the truck is unloading, then a loading dock serves as the point that makes this transition as efficient as possible.

Usually, loading docks refer to actual concrete structures that are permanently installed into a warehouse or other facility. However, there is also the portable kind. These essentially function as a ramp, allowing equipment to be move from the ground to the back of a truck.

Financial

One of the main benefits of using a portable loading dock is that it saves companies so much money. As you can imagine, installing a loading dock isn’t cheap. It takes a lot of materials and labor. Plus, after it’s installed, it still needs to be maintained.

Compared to that costly process, purchasing a loading dock is quite affordable. In fact, you can even rent one to save far more money if this temporary solution is an option.

These loading docks can often help save money other ways, as well. If you only have so many loading docks, you may be paying for trucks and workers to sit idle. By having a portable loading dock handy, though, you can continue to unload, ensuring none of your company’s funds go to waste.

Functional

Another issue conventional loading docks face is that they are permanent, like we mentioned before. This means that there may be many trucks that don’t line up to it perfectly. Ideally, you want the floor of the truck’s trailer to seamlessly transfer over to the floor of your loading dock. With so many different trucks out there, though, this just isn’t always the case.

This isn’t a concern when you’re using a portable loading dock, though. That’s because its height is adjustable. So go ahead and alter it as need be so there are no issues with loading or unloading due to height.

Mobile

Finally, as the name makes clear, portable loading docks can be moved wherever you need them. So no matter where the truck is in your lot, you can load or unload it just fine. You can also allow a forklift access to it or even to your permanent loading dock from the ground level.

There are so many ways a portable loading dock can make your company a more efficient and profitable one, but the above three are perhaps the best examples. Still, those three alone should prove why a portable loading dock makes a great investment.

Article Source:http://www.streetarticles.com/tools-and-equipment/the-case-for-portable-loading-docks