Dockboards Verses Dock Plates | Keeping Customers Informed
Dockboards vs. Dock Plates | Which One Works More Efficiently For Your Industry?
Lots A Ramps explaining the difference between a Dockboard and a Dock Plate. Most times these get confused with one another. Our goal at Lots A Ramps is to keep customers informed. Therefore, you can understand which one works more efficiently for your industry.
Let’s begin with the features of each one:
Dock boards
- Provide loading and unloading capabilities in heavy-duty applications
- Bridge any gaps that can be a safety concern.
- Offer ease when using forklifts and other material handling the equipment.
- Available in steel, aluminum with bolt-on steel curbs, and aluminum with welded curbs.
- Capacities up to 20,000 pounds
- Curbs to prevent runoff.
Dock plates
- Bridge a gap from one area to another in material handling operation.
- Have a flat piece of metal with a slight bend for an easy transition.
- Available in either steel or aluminum.
- Capacities up to 17,000 pounds.
- Don’t have curbs.
Additional Information For An Easier Decision
Deciding between dockboards and dock plates starts with the capacity your facility needs and type of application. If need heavy-duty applications with higher capacities and employing forklifts, dock boards are the best solution. However, if you’re not using these for heavy-duty loading and unloading, then a flat dock plate that offers an easy transition from one place to another is the more economical choice.
When it comes to deciding on a dock plate over a dockboard, keep in mind that dock plates do offer many advantages. Occasionally, a dockboards curb can get in the way especially with extra high-unitized loads where fork trucks cannot lift loads above the height of side curbs. For this instance dock plates are the better option. Additionally, dock plates are great for irregular or sharp turns, where, again, a dockboards curb could get in the way.
What’s the maximum capacity you will need? Interestingly, the extra capacity that dock boards are able to achieve comes from the structural addition of curbs.
Lots A Ramps offers custom dock boards and custom dock plates to meet any requirement or unique challenge. Our custom manufacturing and fabrication team can engineer exactly what you need from start to finish! When it comes to safe material handling, our inventory does not end at dock boards and dock plates. We offer customers a wide variety of American-made mobile yard ramps that provide a loading and unloading facility where one isn’t already established. This wide range of equipment includes mobile yard ramps, dock-to-ground ramps, truck ramps, and forklift ramps.
To learn more about what Lots A Ramps can do for your material handling needs, by calling us directly at 800-321-4968