- Location
- Eastleigh, Hampshire
- Main postcode district
- SO50
- Nearby (straight line)
- Bishopstoke (1 mile), Hedge End (4 miles) and Southampton (5 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.
Is this right for your site in Eastleigh?
Sites around Eastleigh that run night shifts often find traffic lights easier for drivers to read than staff waving or knocking on the cab door. Older docks in Eastleigh with separate door and leveller controls can be brought into a proper sequence by adding interlocks that stop equipment working out of order.
If a site in Eastleigh has had door panels damaged by levellers raised too early, a leveller-to-door interlock is a straightforward fix to consider.
Any project involving dock traffic lights and interlocks at a working site in Eastleigh takes planning. We survey free of charge, quote a fixed price in writing, and then agree a programme that keeps as much of the dock running as possible. Specialist installation engineers carry out the work under our management, out of hours if that suits you better. On completion we test each item, show your team how it operates and leave the documentation with you.
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.
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.
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
- Headroom above the opening and which track type will suit it
- Scope to convert ground-level doors into docks or add lift tables
- Power supply at each bay, including three-phase availability
- Wall and steel structure for door, shelter and bumper fixings
- Gaps around trailers where heated or chilled air escapes
- Working hours, shift patterns and windows for out-of-hours work
Options to discuss
Door-linked lights
Lights that change automatically with the door position, using a door switch or a signal from the door control panel, so the outside light turns red as the door opens.
Trailer presence sensors
Sensors that detect a trailer on the bay, used to switch lights, enable the door or trigger an inflatable shelter where no restraint is fitted.
Planning, building control and safety law 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 Eastleigh. 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 traffic lights and interlocks in Eastleigh
Is the site survey in Eastleigh 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.
Can you work outside our normal operating hours in Eastleigh?
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 long does installation take at a site in Eastleigh?
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.
Can interlocks be fitted to a manual loading bay door?
Yes. A door position switch fitted to a manual door can confirm when it is fully open or fully closed. That signal lets the traffic lights change automatically and stops the leveller being raised until the door is out of the way.
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.
Dock traffic lights and interlocks near Eastleigh
Businesses outside Eastleigh may find their nearest town in this list: Bishopstoke (1 mile), Hedge End (4 miles) and Southampton (5 miles). Each page covers doors, docks, repairs and servicing.
Other loading bay services in Eastleigh
Full guide to dock traffic lights and interlocks · Everything we do in Eastleigh
Tell us what is happening at your Eastleigh dock, what equipment is there and when it is used, and we will suggest the right next step.