- Location
- Herne Bay, Kent
- Main postcode district
- CT6
- Nearby (straight line)
- Whitstable (5 miles), Canterbury (7 miles) and Faversham (11 miles)
- Survey and quote
- Free, with a fixed written quote
A scissor lift table, often called a dock lift, is a powered platform raised and lowered by a hydraulic scissor mechanism to move goods between two levels. At a loading bay it lifts pallets and pallet trucks from ground level to the height of a trailer bed, making it a practical alternative to a raised dock where forming one is not possible.
What matters for scissor lift tables in Herne Bay?
Businesses in Herne Bay receiving both vans and articulated trailers through one doorway can use a lift table to serve every bed height from the same opening. Where ground conditions in Herne Bay make a deep recessed dock costly, a pit-mounted or surface-mounted lift table can be the more practical option.
Split-level buildings near Herne Bay sometimes use scissor lift tables internally to move pallets between floor levels without relying on forklifts and ramps.
Step one is a survey at your site in Herne Bay, which costs nothing and carries no obligation. Step two is a written quote with a fixed price and a clear scope. Step three is installation, scheduled around your operation and carried out by specialist installation engineers working under our management, including evenings or weekends if agreed. Step four is handover, when the equipment is tested in front of you and the paperwork is passed over.
Should a dock lift be pit-mounted or surface-mounted?
A pit-mounted dock lift is best where pallet trucks need to roll straight on at ground level, while a surface-mounted lift suits sites where digging a pit is impractical or the lift may move later. Both raise goods to trailer height; the difference is how you get on at the bottom.
- Pit-mounted: the lift sits in a concrete pit so the platform is flush with the yard when lowered. Pallet trucks drive straight on. The pit needs drainage, and forming it is a structural job that may need building control approval.
- Surface-mounted: the lift stands on the existing floor and a short ramp leads on to the platform at its lowest height. No excavation, quicker to install and easier to relocate, but the ramp takes space and can be harder work with heavy loads.
Ground conditions, drainage, available space and the weight of your typical load usually decide it. We set out both options at survey where either would work.
Where are scissor lift tables used at loading bays?
Scissor lift tables are used wherever goods need to move between yard level and trailer height without a raised dock. They are a common answer for buildings that were never designed for articulated trailers.
- Ground-level doors: older units, workshops and retail back doors with no dock.
- Mixed fleets: the same lift can serve a van, a rigid lorry and an articulated trailer at different bed heights, typically from around 900 mm to 1,600 mm.
- Tight sites: where there is no room for a recessed approach ramp in the yard.
- Split levels: inside buildings with floors at different heights.
- Supplementing a dock: one lift beside a row of docks to handle vehicles that do not suit the levellers.
Our guide to converting a ground-level door into a loading dock compares lift tables with the other ways of reaching trailer height.
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
- Control positions, isolators and any existing interlocks
- Gaps around trailers where heated or chilled air escapes
- Age and condition of the equipment already in place
- Traffic routes for vehicles and separation of pedestrians
- Wheel guide positions and yard markings for reversing vehicles
- How drivers are prevented from pulling away too early
Options to discuss
Bridge plate
A hinged plate on the platform end that rests on the trailer bed during loading, bridging the gap so pallet trucks can cross smoothly between lift and trailer.
Guard rails and gates
Fixed rails and gated sides around the platform, arranged to suit the goods and how operators and pallet trucks move on and off the lift.
Planning, building control and safety law in England
Sites in Herne Bay fall under the rules for England. Structural changes such as forming a new opening or a dock leveller pit may need Building Regulations approval, and external structures such as loading houses, canopies or new dock approaches can need planning permission from the local planning authority. We check what applies at survey and build any approvals into the plan.
Questions about scissor lift tables in Herne Bay
How long does installation take at a site in Herne Bay?
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.
What details do you need from us to quote for scissor lift tables?
To get started, send the site address in Herne Bay, 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.
Do you cover Herne Bay for scissor lift tables?
Yes. We take on scissor lift tables for businesses in Herne Bay and across Kent. 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.
Can a forklift drive on to a scissor lift table?
Only if the lift has been designed and rated for forklift traffic. Most loading bay lift tables are built for pallet trucks, and a forklift's weight and wheel loads need a much heavier platform and mechanism. Tell us how you load at survey so the lift is specified correctly.
Can people ride on a dock lift?
Some lift tables are designed to carry an operator with the load, and others are for goods only. If the lift carries people, LOLER thorough examinations are typically needed every 6 months rather than every 12, unless a written examination scheme sets a different interval. Your insurer or competent person will confirm.
Scissor lift tables near Herne Bay
We also cover towns near Herne Bay, including Whitstable (5 miles), Canterbury (7 miles) and Faversham (11 miles). Each has its own page with the same services and process.
Other loading bay services in Herne Bay
Full guide to scissor lift tables · Everything we do in Herne Bay
Tell us what is happening at your Herne Bay dock, what equipment is there and when it is used, and we will suggest the right next step.