- Location
- Yarm, North Yorkshire
- Main postcode district
- TS15
- Nearby (straight line)
- Thornaby-on-Tees (3 miles), Stockton-on-Tees (5 miles) and Billingham (6 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 Yarm?
Distribution centres near Yarm taking trailers from many different hauliers benefit from a signal every driver understands, regardless of language or familiarity with the site. If a site in Yarm has had door panels damaged by levellers raised too early, a leveller-to-door interlock is a straightforward fix to consider.
Loading docks in Yarm where drivers wait in their cabs for a hand signal can replace guesswork with a clear red and green light at every bay.
Here is what happens after you contact us about a site in Yarm. We arrange a free survey, measure up and send a fixed written quote. If you go ahead, we manage the whole job, including ordering, delivery and coordination with your site team. Specialist installation engineers working under our management do the fitting, at times built around your loading schedule, with out-of-hours work by arrangement. Testing and handover documents close the job.
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.
What does the free survey cover?
- Whether planning, building control or a building warrant may be needed
- Scope to convert ground-level doors into docks or add lift tables
- Wheel guide positions and yard markings for reversing vehicles
- Yard gradient and the slope of the approach to the dock
- Dock height and the mix of trailers you load
- Condition of any existing leveller pit, kerb angles and pit drainage
Options to discuss
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.
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 England
Workplace safety in England is regulated by HSE. For a loading bay in Yarm, 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 Yarm
What warranty comes with new loading bay equipment?
New equipment comes with the manufacturer's warranty, which varies by product. Our workmanship terms are set out in writing in the quote for your Yarm site, so you can see what is covered before you commit. Check the warranty terms for any servicing conditions, and we can quote for planned maintenance once the installation is complete.
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 you deal with building control and planning for a project in Yarm?
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.
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 Yarm
Businesses outside Yarm may find their nearest town in this list: Thornaby-on-Tees (3 miles), Stockton-on-Tees (5 miles) and Billingham (6 miles). Each page covers doors, docks, repairs and servicing.
Other loading bay services in Yarm
Full guide to dock traffic lights and interlocks · Everything we do in Yarm
Whether it is a new bay or a fault on an existing one, call us or request a quote for your site in Yarm.