- Location
- Selby, North Yorkshire
- Main postcode district
- YO8
- Nearby (straight line)
- Goole (10 miles), Pontefract (12 miles) and York (12 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 Selby?
Sites around Selby that run night shifts often find traffic lights easier for drivers to read than staff waving or knocking on the cab door. If a site in Selby has had door panels damaged by levellers raised too early, a leveller-to-door interlock is a straightforward fix to consider.
Food and chilled operations around Selby with inflatable shelters often add interlocks so the shelter only inflates once a trailer is docked and restrained.
How does an installation in Selby 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.
How much do dock traffic lights and interlocks cost?
Dock traffic lights and interlocks typically cost £650 to £3,400 per bay, supplied and fitted, excluding VAT. A pair of manually switched LED signals sits at the lower end, while a full interlock panel linking door, leveller, restraint and shelter sits towards the top.
What moves the price:
- Level of control: standalone lights, door-linked lights or a full interlocked sequence.
- Existing control panels: modern door and leveller panels often accept interlocks directly; older panels may need replacing with a combined bay panel.
- Sensors: door position switches, trailer presence sensors and restraint signals each add parts and wiring.
- Cable runs: distances between lights, panels and the power supply.
- Number of bays and timing: repeat bays reduce the cost per bay, while out-of-hours working adds to it.
These are guide budgets. After a free site survey we send a written quote, and that quote is the fixed price. VAT is added at the standard rate.
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.
What we look at on site
- Whether planning, building control or a building warrant may be needed
- Wall and steel structure for door, shelter and bumper fixings
- Wind exposure at the dock, which affects door and shelter choice
- Clear opening width and height for each door
- Gaps around trailers where heated or chilled air escapes
- Age and condition of the equipment already in place
Options to discuss
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.
Restraint interlock package
Door, lights and vehicle restraint tied together so the door only opens once the trailer is held and the restraint only releases when loading is finished.
What do the rules in England mean for the work?
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 Selby. 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 Selby
Do you cover Selby for dock traffic lights and interlocks?
Yes. We take on dock traffic lights and interlocks for businesses in Selby and across North Yorkshire. 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.
Will you deal with building control and planning for a project in Selby?
We check at survey whether the work is likely to need approval. Forming a new opening or dock pit may need Building Regulations approval, a building warrant or building control approval, depending on the nation, and external structures such as loading houses can need planning permission. Where approval is needed, we explain what is involved, work with your designer or agent, and build it into the programme.
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 North Yorkshire 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.
Will interlocks slow down my loading operation?
Interlocks add a fixed sequence, but each step takes only moments and staff soon get used to it. In practice many sites find the sequence saves time overall, because there are fewer arguments about when to open the door and less damage from levellers being raised into part-open doors.
Do traffic lights and interlocks need maintenance?
Yes. Lights, sensors and interlocks should be checked at each planned service visit, including testing the full sequence and confirming that steps attempted out of order are blocked. As part of the dock equipment they fall under PUWER, which requires work equipment to be maintained in a safe condition.
Dock traffic lights and interlocks near Selby
If your site is not in Selby itself, it may be near one of these: Goole (10 miles), Pontefract (12 miles) and York (12 miles). Pick the closest.
Other loading bay services in Selby
Full guide to dock traffic lights and interlocks · Everything we do in Selby
Send a few photos of the dock and a short description of the problem, and we will come back to you about your Selby site.