The Case for Product Protection at the Dock

Galvanized steel backing offers many advantages over the wood backing that is used on some models. Wood backing has a solid mass (1 1/2” thick) that does not yield when the seal is compressed, often leading to building damage. On steel backing, the solid mass is replaced with compressible foam on a steel frame. Steel backing also offers superior durability: It does not rot, split, crack, or warp. In addition, steel backing uses plated screws with load-spreading washers to provide a stronger, more durable hold on the fabric.

Though largely regarded as a safety device, the vehicle restraint also plays a role in helping to seal the dock doorway. Many food-handling docks use rubber wheel chocks to hold trucks in place during loading/unloading; however, rubber chocks are no match for the forces exerted by forklifts driving in and out of trailers. This force can gradually cause a trailer to “walk” away from the dock, forming a doorway gap. A powered truck restraint ensures that the trailer is held snugly to the dock, with the back end of the trailer fully enveloped by the dock seal.

Demands for product quality in light of recent recalls are causing consumers and purveyors alike to be more mindful of all elements that contribute to that quality. “We are held strictly accountable at all points along the supply chain, and all our customers have the highest quality standards,” Barthel says. “To that end, we are working to be sure we do not have dock doors weeping warm air or the dock area dripping with condensation so that we can assure our customers that we have a clean environment.”

Temperature control along the food supply chain is crucial to maintaining product quality, and consideration of unconventional loading dock equipment specifically designed to address the unique challenges faced by this industry is a quality commitment that all consumers can appreciate. ■

Brittingham is marketing communications manager for 4Front Engineered Solutions. Reach him at [email protected].