Vibration loosens things
Every truck that backs onto the dock shakes the equipment a little. Over months, that small vibration works plugs, nuts and sensors loose. Two recent jobs show how small the cause can be.
On one dock leveller, the plug on the lip sensor had half pulled out of its socket. The leveller could no longer sense that the lip was down, so the roller door interlock stopped the door from closing. On another, the nut holding a solenoid coil had come off and the coil slid off its stem, so the valve that switches the hydraulics on and off stopped working.
If your roller door won't close, check whether the dock is the reason
Many docks have an interlock between the dock leveller and the roller door. If the leveller's sensors don't register that it is stowed, the door may refuse to close. It looks like a door problem, but the fault is on the dock side.
Hydraulic hoses wear out
The rubber in a hydraulic hose hardens with age, and hoses wear where they rub on the ground or against the frame. There is no fixed replacement interval for them, which is why we check hose assemblies on every service. If you can see oil, our hydraulic oil leak guide covers what to report.
Grease goes hard
Some grease points are hard to reach and get skipped. Old grease hardens and crystallises until the point can no longer be greased at all, and the pivot starts to wear. Regular loading dock maintenance keeps them moving.
Dirt and grime under the dock
Rubbish, grime and sometimes vermin collect under the dock, especially at food sites. That dirt ends up in the moving parts. We clean under every dock we service.
Is it a dock leveller, or something else?
To most people, everything at the back of the building is "the dock". The fault might be in a dock leveller, a scissor-lift table, a dock lift or the door itself. That's fine. Send us photos and we'll work out what it is.
What to send us
A photo of the equipment and a photo of its make or serial plate tell us more than a long description. Tell us what it is doing, for example "not going up", "going up slowly", "making a noise" or "there's oil", and whether it is working at all right now.
Please don't try to repair or reset the equipment yourself. Many sites no longer allow staff to touch dock equipment, and a technician needs to see it before advising on its use.