A swing-lip dock leveller is a hydraulic ramp set into a pit at the dock edge, with a hinged steel lip along its front. When a trailer is docked the platform rises, the lip swings out, and the platform lowers until the lip rests on the trailer bed, forming a bridge for forklifts and pallet trucks. The lip is typically about 400 to 500 mm long.
What matters for swing-lip dock levellers in Dundee and Angus?
Chilled food distributors in Dundee and Angus can specify insulated swing-lip levellers with pit seals to cut cold loss through the floor of the bay. Operators in Dundee and Angus who have added electric pallet trucks to their fleet may find an existing leveller too short, making a longer platform worth considering.
Mixed bays at a site in Dundee and Angus, where some trailers have tail lifts and others do not, may suit a combination of swing-lip and telescopic levellers.
If you are planning swing-lip dock levellers for a site in Dundee and Angus, expect four stages. A free survey and fixed written quote come first. We then agree a programme with you, including any out-of-hours work. Specialist installation engineers carry out the installation under our management, with us as your single point of contact. Finally, the equipment is tested, your staff are shown how it works and everything is handed over with its documentation.
How long should a dock leveller platform be?
A leveller platform should be long enough to keep the slope gentle across the full range of trailer heights you load, because the steepest gradient decides which handling equipment can use it safely. A longer platform spreads the same height difference over a greater distance.
- Know your trailer mix: with a dock typically around 1,200 mm high and trailer beds ranging from roughly 900 to 1,600 mm, the height difference can be considerable.
- Check your equipment: low-clearance electric pallet trucks cope with less gradient than a counterbalance forklift with good ground clearance.
- Common lengths: platforms are commonly made from around 2 to 3.5 m long, with longer units where trailers sit very low or very high.
- Width: a wider platform gives more room when pallets sit close to the trailer sides.
When replacing a unit, the pit size limits what can be fitted, so we measure the pit and record your trailer heights at survey before recommending a length.
How much does a swing-lip dock leveller cost?
A swing-lip dock leveller typically costs £5,200 to £8,800 per leveller, excluding VAT, supply and fit, assuming it goes into an existing, sound pit. New pits, pit repairs, concrete and groundworks are priced separately after survey.
Within that range, the price is driven by:
- Platform length: longer platforms give a gentler gradient but cost more.
- Width and capacity: wider decks and higher load ratings use heavier steel and cylinders.
- Lip length: a longer lip reaches further onto the trailer bed.
- Insulation and sealing: insulated platforms and pit seals for chilled buildings.
- Controls and interlocks: links to the door, restraint or traffic lights.
- Removal and access: taking out the old unit, lifting equipment for delivery and out-of-hours work.
If the pit edge steel is damaged or the pit is out of square, we tell you at survey and price the repair as a separate item, so the leveller price stays clear. The written quote is then the fixed price for the work described.
Towns we cover in Dundee and Angus
Below is a list of towns in Dundee and Angus for swing-lip dock levellers. Each page explains our approach for sites in that town.
Budget range for supply and fit. The written quote after a free survey is the fixed price. All guide prices.
Planning, building control and safety law in Scotland
HSE is the workplace safety regulator in Scotland. At a loading bay in Dundee and Angus, doors need to satisfy regulation 18 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, dock equipment must be kept safe under PUWER, and drivers must be prevented from pulling away too early. We check what applies at survey.
Questions
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 Dundee and Angus 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.
How do you price swing-lip dock levellers for a site in Dundee and Angus?
Guide budgets for supply and fit are £5,200 to £8,800 per leveller, 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 levellers need a three-phase supply?
Most hydraulic dock levellers use a three-phase supply, although some smaller units run on single phase. When replacing like for like, the existing supply can often be reused if it is in good order. We check the supply at survey and include any electrical work in the quote.
What happens if a trailer pulls away with the lip on its bed?
The platform drops until its safety system stops it. Hydraulic levellers have a velocity fuse that arrests the fall, but the event can still damage the leveller and endanger anyone on it, which is why dock traffic lights, restraints and key control are used to prevent early drive-away.
Other services in Dundee and Angus
Full guide to swing-lip dock levellers · All loading bay services in Dundee and Angus