- Location
- Sevenoaks, Kent
- Main postcode district
- TN13
- Nearby (straight line)
- Tonbridge (6 miles), Royal Tunbridge Wells (10 miles) and Caterham (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.
What matters for telescopic-lip dock levellers in Sevenoaks?
Before recommending a lip extension for a dock in Sevenoaks, we record the trailers that actually arrive, including tail lifts and rear overhangs. Replacing worn swing-lip levellers at a site in Sevenoaks is a good moment to ask whether the current trailer mix now calls for telescopic lips.
Retail distribution sites in Sevenoaks receiving both artics and tail-lift rigids at the same bays can handle the whole mix with a telescopic-lip leveller.
We never ask you to commit before you have a fixed price. A free survey at your Sevenoaks site comes first, followed by a written quote. When the order goes ahead, we plan the installation around your operation, book any out-of-hours working you need and manage the specialist installation engineers on site. The job ends with a full test, a run-through for the people who will use the equipment and a set of handover documents.
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 far should a telescopic lip extend?
A telescopic lip should extend far enough to reach clear bed space on every trailer you load, including over tail lifts, while still leaving a secure overlap on the bed. Telescopic lips commonly extend 500 to 1,000 mm.
- Around 500 mm: suits fleets without tail lifts that need precise placement and end loading.
- Up to around 1,000 mm: reaches over folded tail lifts and across the larger gap left where deep bumpers hold trailers back from the dock edge.
- Platform length: should match the lip, as a long reach on a short platform can leave steep gradients.
- Lip width: full-width lips suit most work, while narrower or tapered lips help with smaller vehicles.
We record the rear details of the trailers you receive, including tail lift depth and bumper projection, then recommend the shortest extension that covers them all. A longer lip than you need adds cost and weight without benefit.
The same published guide range applies across England; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
What do we check at the survey?
- Forklift and pallet truck loads crossing the leveller platform
- How often each door cycles during a typical shift
- Gaps around trailers where heated or chilled air escapes
- Wind exposure at the dock, which affects door and shelter choice
- Traffic routes for vehicles and separation of pedestrians
- Control positions, isolators and any existing interlocks
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.
Insulated cold store version
An insulated platform with perimeter seals for chilled and frozen docks, often paired with an inflatable shelter and an insulated dock door.
Planning, building control and safety law in England
Sites in Sevenoaks 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 Sevenoaks
Which building and safety rules apply to a site in Sevenoaks?
It depends on which UK nation the site is in. England and Wales use Building Regulations approval, Scotland uses building warrants and Northern Ireland uses building control approval from the council. Workplace safety is regulated by HSE in Great Britain and HSENI in Northern Ireland, and energy rules differ between nations. For your site in Sevenoaks, we check what applies at survey and design to it.
Can you work outside our normal operating hours in Sevenoaks?
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.
Is VAT included in your guide prices for telescopic-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 Kent as everywhere else: for telescopic-lip dock levellers, it is £6,800 to £11,800 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.
Is a telescopic lip slower to operate?
Slightly, because the lip is extended as a separate movement rather than swinging out as the platform rises. In practice the difference is small, and automatic sequences can raise the platform and extend the lip in one action, then return both at the end of loading.
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 Sevenoaks
We also cover towns near Sevenoaks, including Tonbridge (6 miles), Royal Tunbridge Wells (10 miles) and Caterham (12 miles). Each has its own page with the same services and process.
Other loading bay services in Sevenoaks
Full guide to telescopic-lip dock levellers · Everything we do in Sevenoaks
Whether it is a new bay or a fault on an existing one, call us or request a quote for your site in Sevenoaks.