- Location
- Aberdeen, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
- Main postcode districts
- AB10, AB11 and AB12
- Nearby (straight line)
- Westhill (7 miles), Stonehaven (13 miles) and Inverurie (14 miles)
- Survey and quote
- Free, with a fixed written quote
Dock traffic lights are red and green signals mounted outside and inside a loading bay to tell the driver and dock staff when it is safe to move or load. Interlocks are control links that stop equipment operating out of sequence, for example preventing the door opening until the trailer is restrained, or the leveller operating until the door is fully open.
Where does this fit at a dock in Aberdeen?
Distribution centres near Aberdeen taking trailers from many different hauliers benefit from a signal every driver understands, regardless of language or familiarity with the site. Whether your unit in Aberdeen has one dock or twenty, the survey looks at each bay's existing controls before we quote a fixed price in writing.
Food and chilled operations around Aberdeen with inflatable shelters often add interlocks so the shelter only inflates once a trailer is docked and restrained.
A single contact at Loading Bay Doors handles your project in Aberdeen from start to finish. The free site survey and fixed written quote come first, with no obligation to proceed. We then book the installation for times that suit the operation, including out of hours by arrangement, and manage the specialist engineers on site. At the end we commission and test the equipment, walk your team through it and provide the documentation.
One feature of the freight network near Aberdeen is worth a mention: Aberdeen Harbour serves the energy sector and North Sea supply chain. Busy or quiet, a dock needs equipment sized for the vehicles it receives.
What happens on site when traffic lights and interlocks are fitted?
Fitting lights and interlocks is mainly electrical work, and each bay is out of use while its controls are connected and tested. Working bay by bay keeps the rest of the dock running.
- Fix the signals: the outside light is mounted on brackets at a height drivers can see, and the inside light beside the door.
- Run the cables: wiring is run in conduit or trunking between lights, sensors and control panels.
- Isolate and connect: the door and leveller supplies are isolated and locked off while the interlock wiring is connected, or a new bay panel is fitted.
- Test every sequence: each interlock is tested, including what happens if a step is attempted out of order.
- Brief staff: dock staff are shown the new sequence, and signs are fitted for drivers.
It helps if you can provide any electrical drawings for the dock, access to the distribution board, a person who can authorise isolations and an agreed order for releasing bays.
Which interlocks should a loading bay have?
The most useful loading bay interlocks stop the door opening until the trailer is in place or restrained, and stop the leveller operating until the door is fully open. Beyond that, the right set depends on the equipment fitted and your risk assessment.
- Door to restraint: the door cannot open until the restraint is engaged or a trailer is detected.
- Leveller to door: the leveller cannot be raised until the door is fully open, which prevents the lip hitting door panels.
- Door to leveller: the door cannot close until the leveller is back in its parked position.
- Restraint release: the restraint only releases once the door is closed and the leveller parked.
- Shelter to trailer: an inflatable shelter only inflates when a trailer is docked.
On a bay without a restraint, a trailer presence sensor can take its place in the door logic, although it confirms a trailer is there rather than holding it. Combining interlocks with vehicle restraints gives the strongest protection against drive-away.
The same published guide range applies across Scotland; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
Survey checklist for your dock
- Wind exposure at the dock, which affects door and shelter choice
- Scope to convert ground-level doors into docks or add lift tables
- How drivers are prevented from pulling away too early
- Yard gradient and the slope of the approach to the dock
- Escape routes and pedestrian doors close to the bay
- Gaps around trailers where heated or chilled air escapes
Options to discuss
Full bay interlock panel
A single control panel that runs the door, leveller, restraint and shelter in the correct sequence, with indicators showing which step is active or blocked.
Standalone LED traffic lights
A red and green pair for each bay, one outside for the driver and one inside for dock staff, switched manually from a control beside the door.
Regulations and approvals in Scotland
Doors and dock equipment installed in Scotland may carry the UKCA or the CE mark, and we pass on the documentation for everything fitted in Aberdeen. Because building warrant and planning questions can affect the programme, we check what applies at survey and raise any approvals early rather than assuming none are needed.
Questions about dock traffic lights and interlocks in Aberdeen
Is VAT included in your guide prices for dock traffic lights and interlocks?
No. Our customers are businesses, so guide prices exclude VAT, which is added at the standard rate. The same guide range applies in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire as everywhere else: for dock traffic lights and interlocks, it is £650 to £3,400 per bay, excluding VAT. It covers supply and fit for a typical installation. Your fixed written quote after the free survey shows the net price, the VAT and exactly what is included.
Which building and safety rules apply to a site in Aberdeen?
It depends on which UK nation the site is in. England and Wales use Building Regulations approval, Scotland uses building warrants and Northern Ireland uses building control approval from the council. Workplace safety is regulated by HSE in Great Britain and HSENI in Northern Ireland, and energy rules differ between nations. For your site in Aberdeen, we check what applies at survey and design to it.
Is the site survey in Aberdeen 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.
Which way round do the inside and outside lights work?
The inside and outside lights always show opposite colours. While a trailer is being loaded, the outside light is red so the driver stays put and the inside light is green so staff can work. When loading is finished and the door is closed, the inside light turns red and the outside light turns green for the driver.
Can you add lights and interlocks across a whole dock in one project?
Yes. A whole-dock project is usually phased bay by bay so most doors stay in use, and every bay ends up on the same control standard. That consistency makes training easier for staff and drivers, and it simplifies servicing because every bay behaves in the same way.
Dock traffic lights and interlocks near Aberdeen
Nearby places we cover, measured from Aberdeen, include Westhill (7 miles), Stonehaven (13 miles) and Inverurie (14 miles). Ask if your own town is missing.
Other loading bay services in Aberdeen
Full guide to dock traffic lights and interlocks · Everything we do in Aberdeen
Whether it is a new bay or a fault on an existing one, call us or request a quote for your site in Aberdeen.