- Location
- Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire
- Main postcode district
- DN15
- Nearby (straight line)
- Brough (11 miles), Goole (13 miles) and Thorne (13 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.
What matters for dock lights and wheel guides in Scunthorpe?
Tight yards in Scunthorpe where drivers reverse between parked trailers or around buildings make wheel guides especially useful for getting the trailer straight first time. A landlord preparing a unit in Scunthorpe for re-letting can add dock lights and wheel guides at modest cost to make the bays more practical.
Resurfacing works on a yard in Scunthorpe are an ideal moment to fit cast-in wheel guides, before the concrete is finished and bays come back into use.
How does an installation in Scunthorpe work? First, a free, no-obligation survey to measure up and understand the operation. Next, a fixed written quote. Then a programme agreed with you, so the work fits around deliveries, with out-of-hours slots if needed. The installation itself is carried out by specialist engineers who answer to us, and it finishes with testing, a walk-through for your staff and a handover pack.
Do health and safety rules cover dock lights and wheel guides?
Dock lights and wheel guides support your wider loading bay safety duties rather than replacing them. Once fitted, a dock light is work equipment under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), so it must be suitable, maintained in a safe condition and inspected where deterioration could lead to danger. In Northern Ireland the equivalent is PUWER (Northern Ireland) 1999.
HSE's guide to workplace transport safety (HSG136) is the main reference for managing vehicles in the yard, and its loading guidance says there should be safeguards against drivers driving away too early, such as traffic lights, restraints or key control. Wheel guides and dock lights do not meet that requirement on their own, but they help drivers park accurately and help dock staff see what they are doing.
Electrical work for dock lights is carried out by qualified electricians and tested before use. The regulator is HSE in Great Britain and HSENI in Northern Ireland.
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.
The same published guide range applies across England; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
What we look at on site
- Control positions, isolators and any existing interlocks
- Whether planning, building control or a building warrant may be needed
- Working hours, shift patterns and windows for out-of-hours work
- Wheel guide positions and yard markings for reversing vehicles
- Temperature requirements for chilled, frozen or ambient goods
- Forklift and pallet truck loads crossing the leveller platform
Options to discuss
Cast-in wheel guides
Guides set into new concrete with embedded anchors during yard works, giving a very strong fixing for new-build docks, resurfaced yards and loading bay conversions.
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.
Planning, building control and safety law in England
Sites in Scunthorpe fall under the rules for England. Structural changes such as forming a new opening or a dock leveller pit may need Building Regulations approval, and external structures such as loading houses, canopies or new dock approaches can need planning permission from the local planning authority. We check what applies at survey and build any approvals into the plan.
Questions about dock lights and wheel guides in Scunthorpe
What warranty comes with new loading bay equipment?
New equipment comes with the manufacturer's warranty, which varies by product. Our workmanship terms are set out in writing in the quote for your Scunthorpe site, so you can see what is covered before you commit. Check the warranty terms for any servicing conditions, and we can quote for planned maintenance once the installation is complete.
Can you work outside our normal operating hours in Scunthorpe?
Yes, by arrangement. Evening, night and weekend working can be planned so the installation causes as little disruption as possible to your loading schedule. Out-of-hours work can affect the price, so mention it at the survey and we will include it in the written quote. The agreed times are confirmed in the programme before the job starts.
How do you price dock lights and wheel guides for a site in Scunthorpe?
Guide budgets for supply and fit are £280 to £950 per item, excluding VAT. The figure moves with size, insulation, the operator, electrics, access, any pit or groundworks and out-of-hours working. Where levellers are involved, the guide assumes an existing, sound pit. After the free survey you receive a fixed written quote, and that is the price for the agreed scope.
How long should wheel guides be?
Wheel guides need to be long enough to straighten the trailer before it reaches the bumpers, and the right length depends on your yard and approach. Tight yards where drivers turn late usually need longer guides with a flared entry. We set the length and spacing at survey.
Where should a dock light be mounted?
A dock light is mounted inside the building beside the door opening, high enough to swing over the leveller and into the trailer. It must fold back flat against the wall, clear of the door tracks and the forklift route, so it is not struck when the bay is not in use.
Dock lights and wheel guides near Scunthorpe
The same survey, quote and repair service is available in towns around Scunthorpe, such as Brough (11 miles), Goole (13 miles) and Thorne (13 miles).
Other loading bay services in Scunthorpe
Full guide to dock lights and wheel guides · Everything we do in Scunthorpe
Speak to us about your Scunthorpe loading bay. We will ask the right questions, then set out the next step clearly.