Swing-lip dock levellers in Lancashire

In short

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.

Is this right for your site in Lancashire?

Should a recent insurance inspection at a site in Lancashire have flagged leveller defects, a survey can show whether repair or replacement makes more sense. Fitting out a new warehouse in Lancashire with pre-formed pits makes swing-lip levellers a straightforward choice for most general loading from day one.

Ageing levellers in older docks around Lancashire can often be replaced like for like in the existing pit, avoiding new concrete work if the pit is sound.

Your loading bay stays our responsibility from the survey to the handover. In Lancashire, the survey and written quote are free, and the quoted price is fixed for the agreed scope. Installation is carried out by specialist engineers working under our management, at times planned with you to protect your loading schedule. Out-of-hours work is available by arrangement. We finish by testing the equipment and handing over its documentation.

Which trailers and loads suit a swing-lip leveller?

A swing-lip leveller suits everyday loading of standard trailers, where pallets sit a little way back from the rear of the trailer and the lip has room to land on the bed. It is a common choice for general distribution.

Good fit: curtain-siders and box trailers loaded by forklift or pallet truck, with the lip landing behind the first row of pallets.
Less suited: trailers loaded right up to the rear doors, because the lip needs clear bed space to rest on.
Tail-lift vehicles: a folded tail lift can stop the lip reaching the bed.
End loading: loading the last row of pallets at the very rear is awkward with a fixed-length lip.

Where these situations are common, a telescopic-lip dock leveller places its lip exactly where it is needed. Many sites fit both types across their bays, matching each bay to the vehicles it receives.

What wears out on a swing-lip dock leveller?

The lip hinge, hydraulic hoses and seals are usually the first parts to wear on a swing-lip leveller, and planned servicing finds most of these problems before they stop a bay.

Lip hinge: takes an impact every time the lip lands, and suffers badly if trailers reverse into a lip that has not been stored.
Hydraulics: hoses, cylinder seals and power pack oil age and can leak.
Velocity fuse: the safety valve that stops the platform dropping if a trailer pulls away must be tested.
Toe guards and maintenance strut: must be intact and working. HSE guidance notes guards or skirting may be needed where something could be caught.
Dock bumpers: worn bumpers let trailers strike the leveller and dock edge.

A leveller with a cracked lip hinge, a bent platform or repeated hydraulic leaks may be better replaced than repaired. Service and repair visits are chargeable and agreed before anyone attends.

Towns we cover in Lancashire

We provide swing-lip dock levellers right across Lancashire. Pick the town closest to your site from the list below.

Guide price

£5,200–£8,800 per leveller, ex VAT

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 England

Workplace safety in England is regulated by HSE. For a loading bay in Lancashire, 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

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 Lancashire, 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.

Is VAT included in your guide prices for swing-lip dock levellers?

No. Our customers are businesses, so guide prices exclude VAT, which is added at the standard rate. The same guide range applies in Lancashire as everywhere else: for swing-lip dock levellers, it is £5,200 to £8,800 per leveller, 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.

What capacity of leveller do we need?

The leveller needs to be rated for the heaviest combined load of forklift and goods that will cross it, allowing for the truck moving over it. General-purpose levellers are typically rated around 60 kN, with heavier ratings for heavy goods or large forklifts. We confirm the rating after looking at your equipment.

Can a swing-lip leveller be used as a ramp to the yard?

No, a leveller should only be used to bridge a docked trailer. The lip and toe guards are designed to work with a trailer bed in place, and the platform is not built as a ramp down to yard level. Where you need ground-level access, a separate door or a lift table is the safer answer.

Other services in Lancashire

Full guide to swing-lip dock levellers · All loading bay services in Lancashire