A vehicle restraint is a device at a loading bay that physically holds a trailer against the dock until it is safe to leave. In the UK most systems act on the rear wheel, either as a powered wheel-based restraint or a sensor wheel chock. Restraints guard against early drive-away and trailer creep, and are usually interlocked with the door and dock traffic lights.
Is this right for your site in Surrey?
Third-party hauliers visiting sites in Surrey may not know each site's procedures, so a restraint that holds the wheel removes reliance on every driver following instructions. A warehouse in Surrey that already uses traffic lights may want to add restraints so the door cannot open until the trailer is physically held in place.
Operators in Surrey reviewing their workplace transport risk assessment often look at restraints when key control alone has proved hard to enforce across shifts.
We keep the process simple for sites in Surrey. A free survey tells us what the dock needs; a fixed written quote tells you what it will cost and what is included. We then organise the installation, with specialist engineers under our management and a programme agreed around your shifts. Night and weekend work is available by arrangement. Before we leave, the new equipment is tested, demonstrated and handed over with its documentation.
What does HSE guidance say about preventing drive-away?
HSE guidance says there must be safeguards to stop drivers driving away from a loading bay too early, and it lists vehicle or trailer restraints as one of the measures. The others it names are traffic lights and the person in charge keeping the vehicle keys or paperwork until it is safe to leave.
This comes from HSE's guide to workplace transport safety (HSG136) and its loading and unloading factsheet. The guidance sets out the outcome rather than one fixed solution, so the right combination for your site should follow your own risk assessment.
Once fitted, a restraint is work equipment under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), so it must be suitable, maintained in a safe condition and inspected where deterioration could lead to danger. In Northern Ireland the equivalent is PUWER (Northern Ireland) 1999, and the regulator is HSENI rather than HSE.
Our guide to preventing drive-away and trailer creep compares the options side by side.
How does a vehicle restraint work with dock lights and interlocks?
A vehicle restraint is normally linked to the dock traffic lights and the door controls, so engaging the restraint is what allows loading to start.
A typical sequence looks like this:
- The trailer reverses on to the bay with the outside light on green and the door closed.
- The restraint engages the rear wheel. The outside light turns red for the driver and the inside light turns green for dock staff.
- The door can now be opened, and the leveller can only operate once the door is fully open.
- When loading is finished, the leveller is parked and the door closed before the restraint can release.
- The restraint releases, the outside light turns green and the driver can leave.
The exact interlocks depend on your equipment and risk assessment. See dock traffic lights and interlocks for the options on signals and control logic.
Towns we cover in Surrey
We cover vehicle restraints throughout Surrey, and the towns below each have their own page. If yours is not listed, get in touch anyway.
- Woking
- Guildford
- Esher
- Redhill
- Staines
- Leatherhead
- Farnham
- Epsom
- Camberley
- Egham
- Sunbury-on-Thames
- Ashford
- Walton-on-Thames
- Godalming
- Reigate
- Horley
- Caterham
- Weybridge
- East Molesey
- West Molesey
- Dorking
- Haslemere
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
Sites in Surrey 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
Will you deal with building control and planning for a project in Surrey?
We check at survey whether the work is likely to need approval. Forming a new opening or dock pit may need Building Regulations approval, a building warrant or building control approval, depending on the nation, and external structures such as loading houses can need planning permission. Where approval is needed, we explain what is involved, work with your designer or agent, and build it into the programme.
What details do you need from us to quote for vehicle restraints?
To get started, send the site address in Surrey, 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 vehicle restraints work with all trailers?
Wheel-based restraints and sensor chocks work with most trailers, because they act on the rear wheel rather than on the back of the vehicle. Vehicles with unusual wheel positions or very small wheels need checking, so we look at the vehicles you receive during the survey.
Is a vehicle restraint a legal requirement?
Not in every case: HSE guidance (followed by HSENI in Northern Ireland) says there should be safeguards against drivers driving away too early, and a vehicle restraint is one of the measures it lists. Traffic lights and the person in charge keeping keys or paperwork are the others. Which measures you use should follow your risk assessment. In Northern Ireland the regulator is HSENI.
Other services in Surrey
Full guide to vehicle restraints · All loading bay services in Surrey