W.E. Carlson—Rite-Hite Rotating Hook Vehicle Restraint Prevents Potential Catastrophe

Rite-Hite Dok-Lok^Ž
Vehicle Restraint
Prevents Potential Catastrophe

Ill-advised semi-trailer U-turn clipped dropped trailer
but Dok-Lok held tight

W.E. Carlson Corporation customers take loading dock safety very seriously. One such customer, a Chicago-area paper company, sat down with us to share details on an incident that COULD have caused employee injury, fatality and thousands of dollars in product and trailer damage… if it weren’t for Rite-Hite’s rotating hook Dok-Lok.

Q: Tell us what happened?
“A semi driver was trying to make a U-turn where there’s not a lot of room. His trailer swung out and clipped this other (dropped) trailer and the landing gear gave way.

The trailer tipped, but in the end the dock plate was still partially in the trailer and the Dok-Lok held the trailer.”

Q: What could have happened if there wasn’t a Dok-Lok there?
“It is possible we could have had a string of trailers lying on their sides. It caused enough damage that we actually called the police and filed a police report.”

Q: If this trailer tips over, what kind of money is on the line?
“It could be $20,000 a trailer. And that’s just the product inside of it. Not counting the trailer, what might happen to someone inside the trailer, the forklift, etc. And forklift drivers were probably using those trailers.”

Q: How important is safety to your company?
“We consider safety a value. It’s not a priority, it’s a value. It is a requirement of our employees, and it’s our responsibility to provide them a safe work environment.”

Rite-Hite’s Rotating Hook Dok-Lok:
Built to address today’s trailers; horizontal and vertical trailer separation

When the trucking industry deregulated, the old ICC bar changed to a 4-inch tube, called a Rear Impact Guard (RIG). Rite-Hite adapted the Dok-Lok hook to accommodate the new RIG shape, but some manufacturers copied the ORIGINAL design. Don’t fall for it! It doesn’t address all of the different types of accidents and geometries of today’s trucks. Plus, Rite-Hite’s rotating hook traps the RIG up to 30” off grade—compared to some competitor models that will not capture RIGs at 26” or higher—giving you FULL RANGE PROTECTION and FULL TIME SAFETY.

How much safety do you want? You might say, “I'm looking to save some money” and settle for a competitor’s vehicle restraint. But ultimately, what is the cost if one of your employees flies off of a four-foot cliff? Rite-Hite Rotating Hook Dok-Loks address:

Trailer Pop-Up or Tip-Over—Spotted trailer separates from dock if the landing gear collapses or if the trailer's nose pops up or goes down due momentum as a forklift enters trailer. Trailers leaving or backing into dock positions may collide with a spotted trailer, causing it to topple over (see above!).

Trailer Creep—Trailer gradually moves away from dock due to momentum of forklift travel.

Early Departure—The driver pulls away from dock before loading operations are complete.

Landing Gear Failure—Weak or corroded landing gear give way during loading.

Trailer Upending—First load placed in the nose of the trailer causes the rear of the trailer to rise.

For More Information
Dan Dumelle, 847.640.0011
ddumelle@wecarlson.com
www.wecarlson.com