- Location
- Gillingham, Kent
- Main postcode district
- ME7
- Nearby (straight line)
- Chatham (1 mile), Rochester (2 miles) and Strood (3 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.
What should sites in Gillingham consider?
Older docks in Gillingham with separate door and leveller controls can be brought into a proper sequence by adding interlocks that stop equipment working out of order. Distribution centres near Gillingham taking trailers from many different hauliers benefit from a signal every driver understands, regardless of language or familiarity with the site.
New warehouses in Gillingham can have lights and interlocks wired in during the electrical fit-out, avoiding retrofit cabling and keeping every bay on one control standard.
Keeping the dock running is usually the first concern, so we plan around it. After a free survey of your Gillingham site and a written quote at a fixed price, we agree when each bay can be released and whether any work should happen out of hours. Specialist installation engineers working under our management then fit the equipment, and we test it and hand over the documentation before the bay goes back into use.
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.
How do inside and outside dock traffic lights work together?
Inside and outside dock lights always show opposite colours: when the driver sees red, dock staff see green, and the other way round. Each light is aimed at a different person, so each one only ever gives one instruction.
- Outside light, facing the driver: red means stay on the bay because loading is in progress; green means the bay is clear to leave or to reverse on to.
- Inside light, facing dock staff: green means the trailer is in place and it is safe to open the door and load; red means do not open the door or enter the trailer.
Lights can be switched in three main ways:
- Manually, by a switch beside the door, relying on dock staff to change it at the right moment.
- By door position, so opening the door automatically turns the outside light red.
- By the restraint, so the light only changes when the trailer is physically held.
The same published guide range applies across England; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
Survey checklist for your dock
- How drivers are prevented from pulling away too early
- Asbestos register and any other site hazard information
- Clear opening width and height for each door
- Scope to convert ground-level doors into docks or add lift tables
- Gaps around trailers where heated or chilled air escapes
- Condition of any existing leveller pit, kerb angles and pit drainage
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.
Which rules apply in England?
Workplace safety in England is regulated by HSE. For a loading bay in Gillingham, that means doors meeting regulation 18 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, equipment maintained under PUWER and suitable safeguards against vehicles driving away too early. We check what applies at survey and design the bay accordingly.
Questions about dock traffic lights and interlocks in Gillingham
How do you price dock traffic lights and interlocks for a site in Gillingham?
Guide budgets for supply and fit are £650 to £3,400 per bay, 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.
What details do you need from us to quote for dock traffic lights and interlocks?
To get started, send the site address in Gillingham, 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.
Can you work alongside our main contractor on a new build in Gillingham?
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.
Are dock traffic lights enough on their own to stop drive-away?
Traffic lights on their own are a signal, not a physical barrier, so they depend on drivers obeying them. HSE lists traffic lights among the measures against early drive-away, and many sites combine them with key or paperwork control or with a vehicle restraint. The right combination should come from your workplace transport risk assessment.
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 Gillingham
Businesses outside Gillingham may find their nearest town in this list: Chatham (1 mile), Rochester (2 miles) and Strood (3 miles). Each page covers doors, docks, repairs and servicing.
Other loading bay services in Gillingham
Full guide to dock traffic lights and interlocks · Everything we do in Gillingham
Have photos of the door, leveller or shelter? Send them with your enquiry and we can give a clearer answer for your Gillingham site.