- Location
- Stroud, Gloucestershire
- Main postcode district
- GL5
- Nearby (straight line)
- Gloucester (8 miles), Cirencester (10 miles) and Cheltenham (12 miles)
- Survey and quote
- Free, with a fixed written quote
A telescopic-lip dock leveller is a hydraulic pit leveller whose front lip slides forward out of the platform, rather than swinging on a hinge, and can be extended by a controlled amount onto the trailer bed. Telescopic lips commonly extend 500 to 1,000 mm, which lets operators reach over tail lifts, place the lip between pallets and load the last row in a trailer.
Why do sites in Stroud choose this?
Replacing worn swing-lip levellers at a site in Stroud is a good moment to ask whether the current trailer mix now calls for telescopic lips. Manufacturing sites in Stroud that end-load finished goods can place the lip precisely between pallets to reach the rear row.
Where docks in Stroud have deep bumpers that hold trailers away from the edge, a telescopic lip can bridge a gap a swing lip would struggle to cover.
We do not give a fixed price without seeing the site. A free survey in Stroud lets us check the details that affect the job, and the written quote that follows is a fixed price for the agreed scope. We plan the work around your operation, arrange out-of-hours access if you need it and manage specialist installation engineers throughout. Handover includes testing, a demonstration and the paperwork you need for your records.
Why does a telescopic-lip leveller cost more than a swing-lip unit?
A telescopic-lip dock leveller typically costs £6,800 to £11,800 per leveller, excluding VAT, supply and fit, assuming an existing, sound pit. It costs more than a swing-lip unit because the lip slides in its own guides inside the platform, which means more steel, a longer lip and more involved hydraulics and controls.
Within the range, the price depends on:
- Lip extension: a longer reach needs a longer lip and stronger guides.
- Platform length and width: longer platforms give gentler gradients across mixed trailer heights.
- Capacity: higher ratings for heavy loads or large forklifts.
- Insulation: insulated platforms and pit seals for chilled and frozen docks.
- Controls: automatic return, interlocks and links to restraints and traffic lights.
New pits, pit repairs and groundworks are priced separately after survey, and the written quote is the fixed price. We often quote both lip types side by side, so you can see whether the extra flexibility justifies the cost on each bay.
How are drive-away risks managed while the lip rests on a trailer?
Drive-away risks are managed by stopping the vehicle leaving until loading has finished and the lip has been withdrawn, using traffic lights, vehicle or trailer restraints, or the person in charge keeping the keys or paperwork. HSE workplace transport guidance (HSG136) and the HSE loading factsheet (followed by HSENI in Northern Ireland) call for safeguards against drivers driving away too early.
- Why it matters: a lip resting on the bed is only safe while the trailer stays put, and trailer creep during forklift loading can open a gap at the dock edge.
- Equipment duties: the leveller is work equipment under PUWER 1998 in Great Britain or PUWER (Northern Ireland) 1999, so it must be maintained and inspected where deterioration could lead to danger. Engineering insurers commonly inspect at 12-month intervals.
- Standard: BS EN 1398:2009 sets the safety requirements for dock levellers and is current, under review.
Enforcement is by HSE in Great Britain and HSENI in Northern Ireland. Our guide to preventing drive-away and trailer creep compares the safeguards.
The same published guide range applies across England; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
Survey checklist for your dock
- Wind exposure at the dock, which affects door and shelter choice
- Yard gradient and the slope of the approach to the dock
- Bumper position and wear or damage on the dock face
- Wall and steel structure for door, shelter and bumper fixings
- How drivers are prevented from pulling away too early
- Power supply at each bay, including three-phase availability
Options to discuss
Automatic return control
A single button that withdraws the lip and lowers the platform to its stored position, reducing the risk of a trailer leaving with the lip still out.
1,000 mm lip extension
A longer reach that clears folded tail lifts and deep bumper projections, so rigids and tail-lift trailers can be loaded at the same bay.
What do the rules in England mean for the work?
Sites in Stroud 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 telescopic-lip dock levellers in Stroud
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 Stroud, 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.
Can you work outside our normal operating hours in Stroud?
Yes, by arrangement. Evening, night and weekend working can be planned so the installation causes as little disruption as possible to your loading schedule. Out-of-hours work can affect the price, so mention it at the survey and we will include it in the written quote. The agreed times are confirmed in the programme before the job starts.
Do you cover Stroud for telescopic-lip dock levellers?
Yes. We take on telescopic-lip dock levellers for businesses in Stroud and across Gloucestershire. 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 telescopic and swing-lip levellers be mixed on one dock?
Yes, and many sites do. Fitting telescopic levellers on the bays that receive tail-lift vehicles or need end loading, and swing-lip units on the rest, keeps costs down while covering every vehicle type. Clear bay signage helps drivers reverse onto the right one.
Are telescopic levellers suitable for cold stores?
Yes, telescopic levellers are widely used in cold stores because refrigerated trailers are often loaded right to the rear doors. Insulated platforms and perimeter seals reduce cold loss through the pit, and the leveller is usually interlocked with the door and shelter.
Telescopic-lip dock levellers near Stroud
Close neighbours of Stroud with their own pages here: Gloucester (8 miles), Cirencester (10 miles) and Cheltenham (12 miles). Choose one to see coverage details for that town.
Other loading bay services in Stroud
Full guide to telescopic-lip dock levellers · Everything we do in Stroud
Tell us what is happening at your Stroud dock, what equipment is there and when it is used, and we will suggest the right next step.