Is a loading dock rental good for your business?

The first thought you have when you need a loading dock is where you can buy one, but a loading dock rental may be a better solution for your business. Rentals can mitigate the cost of maintenance, and you don't have to deal with depreciation of assets. Rentals can be long-term or short-term. One of the major benefits of choosing to rent is you can change the equipment capacity you have on hand easily. The downside is you have to be on top of your scheduling to make sure you can have your rental in place when you need it.

What type of ramp are you looking for?
The first thing to figure out is what type of rental ramp you need, and what you need it for. Think beyond the immediate need of loading or unloading for one specific project or job and look to what you could do with the rental on site. Renting a ramp for two days, rather than one working day, may let you unload one truck – but with a portable loading docks you can then move the ramp to push other jobs along faster. Really consider what you could get done with a ramp on-site before determining what type you need. You also need to think through the weight capacity and length of the ramp, as well as what type of equipment it may need to handle.

Do you need to rent equipment too?
It can be easier to rent equipment for loading along with the ramp rather than trying to use your own. The rental service will have a better idea of what will work best, and you can also access a different class of equipment than your own. Your fork truck may be able to do the job, but it may be worth it to spend the extra money to rent a loading crawler you can use with the ramp. It is partially about increasing your efficiency with the rental, but also about reducing risk of injury. If you don't have a ramp, then chances are the equipment you have on hand isn't ideal for the job either.

Who picks up and delivers?
You need to be clear about who has the responsibility for picking up and delivering the loading ramp rental both ways. If it is the rental service doing this, make sure you know what to expect. If they send a flatbed tractor trailer that requires the ramp to be offloaded with a crane, you had better have one. Make sure you communicate your capabilities in this instance. The service agency can most likely send out a truck with a lift that will work, but don't assume that they send out the most viable transport option.

Renting can be the best solution, even long term
As mentioned earlier, a long-term loading dock rental can be an ideal solution to give your yard the equipment it needs to function well without breaking your operations budget. You won't have to deal with depreciation and repair work, and there is less of an outlay in finances which can help keep your money where you need it. It also makes it easier and more economical to upgrade your ramps when you need to do so.
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Aluminium Yard Ramps Durable, portable & cost-effective solution

Aluminum Yard Ramps are reliable and cost-effective way to handle the loads of different types of goods and products to make your work easier. They are portable in nature, durable and offer loading and unloading flexibility.They come with aluminum I-bean construction, which make them light in weight, and can bear a standard capacity of up to 25000 pounds. But, the main concerning point is that these fulfill only the specific need in the market. One of the greatest advantages of using these ramps is that they can be used at places where the percentage of handling combustible or flammable materials is high. The reason behind this is that the steel ramps may create a spark. While the aluminum ramps will not. But, one more notable thing is that the aluminum yard ramps are costlier than the steel ramps and have shorter life span.

Usage these depends upon its area of application, cost, durability and the type of material to be shifted. Buying aluminum ramp is a safe choice as compared to steel ramps, and also the cheaper one. If you as a business organization shifting or moving products that are combustible in nature, then it is recommended that you purchase an  Generally, these types of ramps are used by oil production and refineries, munitions production facilities, manufacturing and distribution of fertilizer and warehousing and distribution.

When it comes to durability and working life, these aluminum yard ramps will not lasts long as compared to the steel ramps. The reason for less durability of aluminum yard lamps is that they undergo extensive welding, which creates a lot of heat and thereby reduce their strength. Moreover, you can repair these aluminum ramps using welding, and they easy to maintain.

Factors to Consider before opting for Aluminum Yard Ramps

Design – The overall design of these ramps creates a major difference, depending upon the model and construction. But, one common thing that among all models of is that they are sturdily built so that they can bear the heavy loads easily.

Mobility – Mobility is yet another important factor, and how easily one can move the yard ramp is important. Moreover, for convenient height adjustment, an installed hydraulic hand pump system can be used.

Capacity – The most-crucial factor is the overall capacity.Its capacity should be more than the combined weight of heaviest forklift plus and the maximum load of cargo of a business.

 Safety – Safety is what everyone requires while using any of the product, machine or tool. So, is the case with aluminum ramps also? The decking of these ramps should be kept minimum, and it should have good, solid grip along with an unslippery surface.

New or Used – Last but not the least, deciding on whether to use new or used aluminum yard ramps is also essential. And, it should be determined according to their cost-effectiveness and working life.


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Staging and moving portable loading docks

When buying portable loading docks, you need to plan for how you are going to get them from their storage point to their staging area. If you don't think this through, you will wind up leaving the docks staged. This not only can interfere with the staging process for phase work, but it can reduce the turn radius in yards. More importantly, portable docks aren't meant to be left in place as, this shortens their lifespan. Take the time to consider how you will move the docks from place to place, and how you will perform their needed maintenance. Sit down and look at your access and egress paths, and consider the schedule of your equipment when making your plans.

Planning out the access

You may know where you have space for the portable loading docks, and how they will be used, but you also have to consider the space around them too. Staging should take into account the approach of trucks and loaders so that adequate turn radius is allowed. Just because a driver can turn in a tight space doesn't mean you should leave it to them to do all of that work. The easier it is for them to get in and out, the better your service and efficiency will be.

Knowing when to move the staging areas

Projects lose money when even an hour delay occurs. A part of planning your staging areas is knowing when you need to move them. It is never as simple as just planning to move a dock when a phase has ended. You have to accommodate the staging-in plans of other contractors. If you are using the docks in a permanent yard, you need to make sure that you accommodate the loading schedule as docks will have to be moved to create viable turn radius.

Making sure you have the portable loading docks you need

When planning for your portable loading docks, take into account everything they can be used for. The most common mistake made is to buy a dock that is dedicated for one use, and not to take into account where the dock could be located to expand its potential. If you have a dock with a load bearing capacity and width to handle a pallet jack, chances are you will want to use it for a forklift as well. It is always best to look at your staging plan so you can really determine what activities will occur around the portable dock so you choose one that is flexible.

After the project is over

The old story goes that when it came time to take the portable loading docks away ...  the company didn't have a loading dock to load the loading docks. Believe it or not, this is a very real problem. Just as you planned the offloading of the docks in the beginning of the project, you need to plan out how you are going to get them off site. The easiest way is to use a lift and flat-bed, but if that is not an option for you make sure that your loading truck has the equipment it needs to lift and load the docks when they are collapsed or dismantled. Advanced planning will save you time and money.


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Article Source: http://bizcovering.com/business/staging-and-moving-portable-loading-docks/

The Case for Portable Loading Docks

A portable loading dock is really a modern marvel when you consider what it can do and replace. You may also want to consider how difficult certain tasks would be without one available. Thanks to portable loading docks, everything from large machinery to basic products can be loaded into a trailer truck with relative ease. The main benefits of these docks can be broken down as:

•Financial
•Functional
•Mobile

Before we get to those, however, let’s take a look at what portable loading docks actually are.

What is a Portable Loading Dock?

All loading docks serve one basic purpose. They are the launching point from where the inventory is to where it will end up, the truck. Conversely, if the truck is unloading, then a loading dock serves as the point that makes this transition as efficient as possible.

Usually, loading docks refer to actual concrete structures that are permanently installed into a warehouse or other facility. However, there is also the portable kind. These essentially function as a ramp, allowing equipment to be move from the ground to the back of a truck.

Financial

One of the main benefits of using a portable loading dock is that it saves companies so much money. As you can imagine, installing a loading dock isn’t cheap. It takes a lot of materials and labor. Plus, after it’s installed, it still needs to be maintained.

Compared to that costly process, purchasing a loading dock is quite affordable. In fact, you can even rent one to save far more money if this temporary solution is an option.

These loading docks can often help save money other ways, as well. If you only have so many loading docks, you may be paying for trucks and workers to sit idle. By having a portable loading dock handy, though, you can continue to unload, ensuring none of your company’s funds go to waste.

Functional

Another issue conventional loading docks face is that they are permanent, like we mentioned before. This means that there may be many trucks that don’t line up to it perfectly. Ideally, you want the floor of the truck’s trailer to seamlessly transfer over to the floor of your loading dock. With so many different trucks out there, though, this just isn’t always the case.

This isn’t a concern when you’re using a portable loading dock, though. That’s because its height is adjustable. So go ahead and alter it as need be so there are no issues with loading or unloading due to height.

Mobile
Finally, as the name makes clear, portable loading docks can be moved wherever you need them. So no matter where the truck is in your lot, you can load or unload it just fine. You can also allow a forklift access to it or even to your permanent loading dock from the ground level.

There are so many ways a portable loading dock can make your company a more efficient and profitable one, but the above three are perhaps the best examples. Still, those three alone should prove why a portable loading dock makes a great investment.

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