- Location
- Lerwick, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles
- Main postcode district
- ZE1
- Nearby (straight line)
- Remote location, covered by arrangement
- 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.
Where does this fit at a dock in Lerwick?
On older estates around Lerwick, dock lights may still use outdated lamps, and an LED swing-arm light is a simple upgrade that runs cooler. Parcel and retail distribution operators in Lerwick that work into the evening rely on good lighting inside trailers once daylight at the dock fades.
Resurfacing works on a yard in Lerwick are an ideal moment to fit cast-in wheel guides, before the concrete is finished and bays come back into use.
We never ask you to commit before you have a fixed price. A free survey at your Lerwick site comes first, followed by a written quote. When the order goes ahead, we plan the installation around your operation, book any out-of-hours working you need and manage the specialist installation engineers on site. The job ends with a full test, a run-through for the people who will use the equipment and a set of handover documents.
How do wheel guides protect shelters, seals and levellers?
Wheel guides protect dock equipment by keeping every trailer centred on the bay, so contact forces land where the equipment is designed to take them. A trailer that parks off-centre loads one side of the dock much harder than the other.
- Shelters: off-centre trailers catch the side curtains and frame, causing tears and bent arms.
- Seals: one pad is crushed while the other barely touches, leaving gaps for draughts and rain.
- Levellers: the lip can land near the edge of the trailer bed, with less support for forklifts.
- Bumpers: one bumper takes every impact and wears out early.
Dock lights help in a different way: forklift drivers who can see clearly inside the trailer are less likely to strike the trailer walls or the door frame on the way out. Combining guides and lights with correctly positioned dock bumpers gives a well-protected bay.
What happens on site when dock lights or wheel guides are fitted?
Dock lights are fitted from inside the building and usually leave the bay usable for most of the work, while wheel guides close the bay to vehicles until the anchors have cured.
- Dock lights: the bracket is fixed beside the door, the arm and head fitted, and the supply connected and tested. The circuit is isolated briefly during connection.
- Wheel guides: the yard in front of the bay is coned off, guides are set out, drilled and anchored, and the resin is left to cure before trailers return.
- Concrete bases: where tarmac needs a concrete strip first, the bay stays closed until the concrete has gained enough strength.
We ask you to provide a clear bay, details of the nearest power supply, safe yard access and someone who can manage vehicle movements around the work area. Planning guide installation for a quieter period keeps disruption to a minimum.
The same published guide range applies across Scotland; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
What does the free survey cover?
- Forklift and pallet truck loads crossing the leveller platform
- Temperature requirements for chilled, frozen or ambient goods
- Wheel guide positions and yard markings for reversing vehicles
- Gaps around trailers where heated or chilled air escapes
- Traffic routes for vehicles and separation of pedestrians
- Power supply at each bay, including three-phase availability
Options to discuss
Low-voltage dock light
A swing-arm light fed through a transformer mounted nearby, for sites that prefer a reduced voltage at the lamp head. Same reach and folding action as a mains light.
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.
Which rules apply in Scotland?
In Scotland, building work such as forming a new opening or a dock leveller pit may need a building warrant from the local authority before it starts. For sites in Lerwick, external structures such as loading houses or canopies may also need planning permission from the council. We check what applies at survey and factor any approvals into the programme.
For Lerwick, installation work is planned in advance rather than on a routine round. The survey and quote are free; where we can, we group installation visits with other work nearby, and any travel and accommodation costs for fitting are set out clearly in the quote.
Questions about dock lights and wheel guides in Lerwick
What details do you need from us to quote for dock lights and wheel guides?
To get started, send the site address in Lerwick, the number of bays or openings, approximate sizes, and photos of the dock from inside and outside. Tell us what vehicles you load, what goods you handle and any temperature requirements. Drawings help on new builds. We then arrange the free survey and confirm the details before the written quote is issued.
Is the site survey in Lerwick free?
Yes. For new installations, replacements, upgrades, conversions and complete bays, the site survey and written quote are free and come with no obligation. The survey lets us measure the openings, check the dock and structure, and understand how the bay is used, so the quote reflects your site. Repair and servicing visits are different: they are chargeable, with the price agreed before anyone attends.
Do you cover Lerwick for dock lights and wheel guides?
Yes. We take on dock lights and wheel guides for businesses in Lerwick and across Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles. We survey the site, provide a fixed written quote and manage the installation, with specialist installation engineers working under our management. Visits are arranged in advance at a time that suits your operation, and the same single contact stays with the job through to handover.
Are LED dock lights better than older lamps?
LED dock lights are generally the better choice. They run much cooler, so there is less risk of heat damage to goods or packaging close to the head, they cope well with vibration, and they reach full brightness straight away. They also use less electricity for the same light, although savings depend on how long the lights are on.
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.
Dock lights and wheel guides near Lerwick
Other loading bay services in Lerwick
Full guide to dock lights and wheel guides · Everything we do in Lerwick
If a loading bay in Lerwick needs attention, call us or send photos and details online.