Trailer Tip Over

The continuing demand for increased productivity at the loading dock, in the form of quicker turnaround times among other things, adds pressure that can lead to increased safety risks. The greatest risk for accidents is often found during the loading and unloading of spotted (or dropped) trailers in the form of tip over or up-ending. These incidents wreak havoc not only inside the trailer, but also outside in the immediate vicinity. Workers operating the forklift and workers in the yard - even at the end of a line of trailers, unaware of an active loading operation - can be put in harm's way when multiple trailers collapse in a domino effect from one landing gear failure, or patch of sinking pavement (trailer tip over). Workers both inside the trailer and on the dock near its open end are in danger when excess weight in the nose of a dropped trailer up-ends the entire unit.

The simple solution for both of these dangerous events is to stabilize the trailer during loading and unloading operations. The most effective means of creating a stable platform for accessing the load is by leaving the cab attached to the trailer throughout the duration of work. Unfortunately, this option is not always practical. An alternative is the use of a vehicle restraint secured to the trailer's ICC bar. This device can minimize "trailer creep", and prevent "unscheduled" departures from the dock, but is not sufficiently effective when it comes to preventing tip overs. The choice for both effective and practical considerations is a supporting device to take the place of the trailer cab, when the cab cannot remain in place. That choice is a Trailer Stand.



A simple, budget conscious solution for lower-traffic docks can be found with our Two-Post Trailer Stand. This unit consists of 2 points of support, for strength and stability to guard against tip-over, on a single cart for easy deployment and retrieval. While it's easy to maneuver into place, it does take a few seconds longer to implement than some of our other products, so is not recommended for high traffic loading docks. For higher traffic situations, the AutoStand is an easy to deploy option that is available in three different configurations: standard, plus and wide. All three designs are up to the task of supporting a dropped trailer self-leveling gas shocks and all terrain wheels. And the newest device, the Shuntable stand, is a cost effective improvement over early truck- positioned models that deploys in 2 minutes (on average), and completely eliminates the need for workers to be on the tarmac.

Prices for various types of trailer stands range from under $100 to over $10,000. Choosing the right one for your loading dock comes down to matching the selection to your workplace's volume of traffic, type of loading (live vs. spotted) and the maximum weight of loads handled (including the loading device, whether it's a person or a forklift).

Click here to download our Trailer Stand White Paper.

Whether you need warehouse guardrails and trailer jack stands to protect your people or loading dock bumpers and safety barriers to safeguard your equipment, we have a full spectrum of solutions to create a safer workplace. Call 1-866-828-6737 or email us at [email protected] to discuss your needs.