Dock Levelers & Vehicle Restraints

Dock levelers bridge the gap between the dock and a trailer, and vehicle restraints hold the trailer in place. When either fails, a forklift can drop through the gap or off the dock, often with fatal results.

• General Industry
• Warehousing

Vehicle restraints

• Automatic or manual hooks grab the trailer’s rear impact guard (ICC bar) so it can’t pull away or creep.
• Wheel-based restraints block the trailer’s wheels and work on trailers with damaged or missing guards.
• Wheel chocks are the minimum when no restraint is available.
• Lights and signs tell the driver and the forklift operator whether the trailer is secured: green inside and red outside means it’s safe to load.

Dock levelers and plates

• Use levelers and plates rated for the combined weight of the forklift and load.
• Make sure the leveler lip rests fully on the trailer bed, with enough overlap.
• Secure portable dock plates so they can’t slide; use the handles or a forklift to place them, not your hands under the plate.
• Keep the leveler stored (lip retracted) when no trailer is there.
• Watch out for steep slopes from very high or low trailers; forklifts can bottom out or lose traction.

Before entering a trailer

• Restraint engaged or wheels chocked, and the light shows green inside
• Driver has the keys out, or a lock system is in use, so the truck can’t leave
• Trailer floor checked for holes, rot and weak spots
• Detached trailers supported with trailer stands under the nose
• Leveler lip fully on the trailer bed
• Lighting inside the trailer

Inspection and maintenance

• Inspect levelers and restraints daily: lip hinges, hydraulic leaks, toe guards and restraint hooks.
• Tag out and report any leveler that drops suddenly, won’t hold, or has a bent lip.
• Lock out and support the leveler deck with its maintenance strut before anyone works underneath it.

Last updated: October 2, 2026