- Location
- Hinckley, Leicestershire
- Main postcode district
- LE10
- Nearby (straight line)
- Earl Shilton (4 miles), Nuneaton (4 miles) and Bedworth (6 miles)
- Survey and quote
- Free, with a fixed written quote
Dock lights and wheel guides are two simple loading bay aids. A dock light is a lamp, usually LED, on a swing arm beside the dock door that shines into the trailer so forklift drivers can see the load. Wheel guides are steel rails fixed to the yard that steer the rear wheels so the trailer arrives straight and centred on the leveller.
Why do sites in Hinckley choose this?
Tight yards in Hinckley where drivers reverse between parked trailers or around buildings make wheel guides especially useful for getting the trailer straight first time. On older estates around Hinckley, dock lights may still use outdated lamps, and an LED swing-arm light is a simple upgrade that runs cooler.
Shelters and seals at sites near Hinckley last longer when wheel guides keep trailers centred, because off-centre parking is a common cause of torn curtains.
It starts with a free site survey in Hinckley, where we measure the openings, check the dock and talk through how the bay is used. You then receive a fixed written quote. Once you accept, we manage the job: specialist installation engineers carry out the work under our management, planned around your deliveries, and out-of-hours working can be arranged. At handover we test everything with you and leave the documentation.
Should wheel guides be bolted down or cast in?
Wheel guides are bolted down on an existing sound concrete yard and cast in where new concrete is being laid. Both give a strong fixing; the choice depends on whether the yard is being resurfaced.
- Bolt-down guides: steel tube or channel fixed with resin anchors. Quick to fit to existing bays and easy to replace if damaged.
- Cast-in guides: set into fresh concrete with embedded anchors, suited to new-build docks and conversions.
- Flared entry: an angled lead-in at the yard end catches the wheel early and steers it into line.
- Finish: typically galvanised, or painted yellow and black so drivers can see them in mirrors.
Guides are set out to suit the track width of the trailers you receive, centred on the leveller, and long enough to straighten the trailer before it reaches the bumpers. Tarmac is usually too soft to hold anchors, so a concrete strip or base is laid first. Our guide to choosing dock bumpers and wheel guides covers layout in more depth.
Which type of dock light is best for a loading bay?
An LED swing-arm dock light is the usual choice for a loading bay, because it reaches into the trailer during loading and folds back flat against the wall when the bay is closed. LED heads run much cooler than older lamps and cope better with knocks and vibration.
- Arm length: longer arms push light further into deep trailers, but need clear wall space so they can fold away from the door path.
- Rigid or flexible arm: a rigid arm with a pivoting head is tougher; a flexible section can be easier to aim.
- Guarding: a protective cage or polycarbonate cover helps the head survive forklift contact.
- Switching: a switch on the head or on the wall, or linked to the door so the light comes on as it opens.
- Supply voltage: mains or low-voltage, confirmed at survey to suit your site.
The light is mounted inside the building beside the door, clear of the door tracks, at a height that lets it swing over the leveller and into the trailer.
The same published guide range applies across England; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
What does the free survey cover?
- Yard gradient and the slope of the approach to the dock
- Asbestos register and any other site hazard information
- Access for deliveries, cranes or lifting equipment during installation
- Wheel guide positions and yard markings for reversing vehicles
- Whether planning, building control or a building warrant may be needed
- Traffic routes for vehicles and separation of pedestrians
Options to discuss
Bolt-down wheel guides
Steel tube or channel guides fixed with resin anchors into an existing concrete apron, typically galvanised or painted in high-visibility colours for drivers using mirrors.
LED swing-arm dock light
An LED head on a swing arm beside the door, swung into the trailer during loading and folded back flat against the wall when the bay is closed.
Regulations and approvals in England
Powered doors and dock equipment installed in England may carry the UKCA or the CE mark, and doors are covered by the product standard BS EN 13241. We hand over the relevant documentation for each item fitted in Hinckley. Planning and Building Regulations questions are never assumed either way: we check what applies at survey, so you know before work is booked.
Questions about dock lights and wheel guides in Hinckley
Will you deal with building control and planning for a project in Hinckley?
We check at survey whether the work is likely to need approval. Forming a new opening or dock pit may need Building Regulations approval, a building warrant or building control approval, depending on the nation, and external structures such as loading houses can need planning permission. Where approval is needed, we explain what is involved, work with your designer or agent, and build it into the programme.
Can you work alongside our main contractor on a new build in Hinckley?
Yes. For new warehouses and fit-outs, we can supply and install the dock package as part of a wider project, working to the main contractor's programme, site rules and permits. We will need drawings, dock levels and the programme, and we coordinate pit details, power supplies and door openings with the relevant trades before installation begins.
How long does installation take at a site in Hinckley?
It depends on the equipment, the number of bays, the condition of the dock and whether any building or electrical work is needed. We agree a programme with you after the survey, setting out which bays are out of use and when. Larger jobs are usually phased so that part of the dock stays open, and out-of-hours working can be arranged.
Do wheel guides damage tyres?
Correctly spaced wheel guides should not damage tyres. They are set slightly wider than the trailer track so the tyre only brushes the guide when the trailer is off line, and a flared entry stops tyres hitting the end. Guides that are bent or set too narrow should be corrected.
Can dock lights be fitted without stopping loading?
Usually yes. Dock lights are fitted from inside the building beside the door, and the bay can often keep working except for a short period while the supply is isolated and connected. We agree timings with you so the work fits around trailer arrivals.
Dock lights and wheel guides near Hinckley
Other towns within reach of Hinckley on our coverage list include Earl Shilton (4 miles), Nuneaton (4 miles) and Bedworth (6 miles), all covered on the same terms.
Other loading bay services in Hinckley
Full guide to dock lights and wheel guides · Everything we do in Hinckley
For a written price on loading bay work in Hinckley, request a quote and include photos of the bay if you can.