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Manual and Hydraulic Loading Dock Levelers

Loading Dock bays

Dock levelers bridge the height difference between truck beds and dock floors, allowing goods to be transferred safely and smoothly.

Loading Dock bays

Embedded in the surface of your loading bay, they can be raised or lowered to create a flush pathway for forklifts and pallet jacks. Depending on the volume of shipments passing through your facility and the amount of external power available, business owners typically rely on one of two models.

Manual dock levelers, sometimes referred to as mechanical dock levelers, are activated with a pull chain. When triggered, the spring-loaded platform pops up and is walked down until its edge is resting level with the truck bed.

Hydraulic dock levelers are operated by a push button station. Switching on the hydraulic pump extends the cylinders until the platform rests even with the floor of the cargo trailer.

When well-maintained, mechanical and hydraulic dock levelers allow materials to be loaded and unloaded efficiently, with minimal risk of injury or accident. Vortex service teams work with warehouses and shipping centers ‒ inspecting, cleaning, and repairing dock levelers in order to ensure their reliability and resolve problems that could disrupt the movement of products and supplies. Our technicians are trained to handle all common issues affecting your levelers, including:

  • Fluid Leaks: Hydraulic levelers with fluid seeping out from their hoses, seals, and connections cannot function reliably. In some cases, leaky systems may be too weak to support shipments moving across the platform, endangering your staff and equipment.
  • Pump Malfunction: Faulty pumps prevent levelers from being raised or lowered to your desired height, resulting in a tilted or bumpy transition between truck and platform.
  • Warping or Bending: Heavy use and impact from forklifts can cause steel and aluminum platforms to bend, creating uneven surfaces that increase the likelihood of an accident or mishap.
  • Worn Springs: Repeated use can weaken the springs beneath manual dock levelers, making it difficult or impossible to raise the platform to its intended height.
  • Cylinder Problems: A leaky cylinder prevents hydraulic levelers from raising and lowering smoothly, while a misaligned cylinder keeps the platform from sitting flush with the cargo bed.
  • Electrical Malfunctions: Corrosion and weak connections can impair or disable the leveler’s electronic components. Loose wires can lead to short circuits, destroying control panels or push-button devices and leaving the unit entirely unresponsive.
  • Uneven Lip Extension: A lip extension protrudes beyond the edge of the dock leveler, providing a longer reach and better purchase on the truck bed. Impact can damage the pins connecting it to the rest of the platform, compromising loading and unloading operations.
  • Rust: Dock levelers installed in rainy and humid environments can become corroded, weakening their structural integrity and leading to unsafe working conditions.
  • Impaired Hinges: Wear and tear caused by frequent activation cycles can cause hinges to become loose or damaged, undermining the platform’s stability and function.

Vortex service teams identify and address problems that could jeopardize the safety and reliability of manual and hydraulic dock levelers. Careful inspection and routine maintenance clears away debris and corrects issues that could impact the unit’s performance and lead to slips, trips, falls, and crashes. For more information about dock leveler upkeep and repair, contact your local Vortex service center today.

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What Our Customers Are Saying

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An and Austin did a great job, our customers are excited!
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Jason was wonderful! Friendly and quick! He knew what he was doing.Little pricy in my opinion but I have a functioning door again!
Dee D.
The door to our ladies restroom door handle has been broken for a while. It’s fixed and working well now.
Kenneth C.
Mike gave great, prompt service. Pleasant and thorough, explained what was done, let me know about PM program. Will definitely call again.
Ron M.
I deal with a lot of vendors every day across several properties in the Inland Empire.If all of them would respond like Vortex professionally,with courtesy and provide the service they say they're going to for the expense they quoted.My day would be a lot easier.
Jordan K.
Alexander was so helpful and quick with service. He was hired to remove the swinging door between the front of house and back of house of the store I work at. He was kind and respectful of business, moving around us while we continued to work around him and did his best to stay out of our way so that we could continue to serve customers to the best of our ability. 10/10 would recommend
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Finding tradesman with any level of customer service is rare. Kenny is the exception. Kept it simple got in, got out and the job is done in time for lunch. Went above and beyond with to fix the little things with a bit of extra care. That last 10 percent. A dude you don’t mind having in your space. Left alone to do his task. Not common in Vegas. Thanks again👍 Big help.
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Saul and jr did a great service for our front door restaurant soul food shack
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