- Location
- Lichfield, Staffordshire
- Main postcode district
- WS13
- Nearby (straight line)
- Burntwood (4 miles), Tamworth (6 miles) and Aldridge (7 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 matters for dock traffic lights and interlocks in Lichfield?
Distribution centres near Lichfield taking trailers from many different hauliers benefit from a signal every driver understands, regardless of language or familiarity with the site. Older docks in Lichfield with separate door and leveller controls can be brought into a proper sequence by adding interlocks that stop equipment working out of order.
New warehouses in Lichfield can have lights and interlocks wired in during the electrical fit-out, avoiding retrofit cabling and keeping every bay on one control standard.
The survey is free, the quote is written and the price is fixed: that is how every installation in Lichfield begins. We then manage the work from start to finish. Fitting is carried out by specialist installers under our management, phased so the operation keeps moving, and nights or weekends can be booked by arrangement. On the final day we test the equipment with you and hand over the operating and maintenance information.
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.
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?
- Wheel guide positions and yard markings for reversing vehicles
- Control positions, isolators and any existing interlocks
- How drivers are prevented from pulling away too early
- Access for deliveries, cranes or lifting equipment during installation
- How often each door cycles during a typical shift
- Temperature requirements for chilled, frozen or ambient goods
Options to discuss
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.
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.
Regulations and approvals in England
Workplace safety in England is regulated by HSE. For a loading bay in Lichfield, 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 Lichfield
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 Staffordshire 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.
How do you price dock traffic lights and interlocks for a site in Lichfield?
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.
Do you remove and dispose of the old equipment?
Yes, where it is part of the scope. When we replace doors, levellers, shelters or seals at a site in Lichfield, removal and disposal of the old equipment can be included and is itemised in the quote, so it is clear what is covered. If anything should be kept, such as a frame or motor that is still serviceable, we agree that at survey.
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 Lichfield
Businesses outside Lichfield may find their nearest town in this list: Burntwood (4 miles), Tamworth (6 miles) and Aldridge (7 miles). Each page covers doors, docks, repairs and servicing.
Other loading bay services in Lichfield
Full guide to dock traffic lights and interlocks · Everything we do in Lichfield
Send a few photos of the dock and a short description of the problem, and we will come back to you about your Lichfield site.