Enhancing Your Vehicle Restraints: A Guide for Every Facility

Keeping your people safe at the loading dock is a main priority for any operation. To do so, facilities need to ensure that their existing equipment is properly maintained and updated to meet current safety regulations while continuing to help protect their people, products and equipment.

Originally answering the question of “how can we address trailer separation accidents?”, Rite-Hite® invented the vehicle restraint industry with the introduction of the Original Dok-Lok® in 1980. The growth of the supply chain, along with evolving industry trends and trailer types has led to an expanded offering for all applications.

Rite-Hite offers multiple vehicle restraint enhancements to accommodate various budgets while matching pace with changes, whether facilities choose to upgrade their existing vehicle restraints or completely replace. Learn more about Dok-Lok Vehicle Restraints. 

Explore Upgrade Solutions 

Understanding Your Budget: Maintenance vs. Capital

Maintenance Budget: Cost-Effective Upgrades

A maintenance budget includes planning and prioritizing maintenance and repair costs for equipment and systems of a business, oftentimes with limited capital to spend. With a maintenance budget, facilities can choose to upgrade their restraints in a more cost-effective way than purchasing new equipment.

Capital Budget: Investing in New Equipment

A capital budget includes investing in new equipment or a new building which requires significant expenditure. With a capital budget, facilities can choose to replace their vehicle restraints with a new Rite-Hite restraint and controls with smart, connected capabilities.

Benefits of Enhancing Your Vehicle Restraints

Regardless of budget type, enhancing vehicle restraints allow facilities to:

• Further prevent trailer separation and loading accidents at the loading dock
• Enhance loading dock safety and communication between dock workers and truck drivers
• Reduce costly equipment downtime and unplanned maintenance needs

Key Enhancements for Vehicle Restraints

1. Shadow Hook Technology: Securing Diverse Trailer Types

With the rise in global logistics, loading docks frequently receive intermodal container chassis and trailers with obstructed RIGs. Properly securing these types of trailers is critical to dock and personnel safety and productivity. If a facility receives an obstructed RIG and does not have a Shadow Hook, for example, they will not be able to properly restrain the trailer which can lead to fault modes, downtime, trailer creep and even early departure. This is why Rite-Hite was the first to address the trend with the invention of the Shadow Hook® in 2012. Whether legacy or existing Rite-Hite Rotating Hook Restraints, there are several ways facilities can help ensure safe Dok-Lok® engagement regardless of trailer type.

By upgrading your truck restraints with Shadow Hook Technology, facilities receive a variety of industry-leading warranties and are eligible for a Planned Maintenance Program performed by Rite-Hite’s exclusive network of representatives; helping to ensure products are performing at their full potential.

2. Rite-Vu Hazard Recognition and Control: Enhancing Safety with Incremental Communication Upgrades

Another way to enhance your restraint is to upgrade your existing light communication inside and out by way of enhanced or new controls paired with Rite-Vu™ Hazard Recognition and Control. Standard with every vehicle restraint purchase, Dok-Lok® Style controls are NEMA 4X rated for protection against corrosion and outside environments like windblown dust and rain and splashing water, and has LED bulbs that burn longer and are brighter and more efficient. Not only can upgrading controls support Shadow Hook Technology, but facilities can integrate 24/7 loading dock safety solutions at a fraction of the cost compared to standalone equipment purchases, such as:

• Line-of-Sight Light Communication which helps provide active vehicle restraint status inside, regardless of clutter and stacked pallets
• Active Loading Verification which helps address 80% of annual forklift-pedestrian accidents
• Pedestrian Drive Approach Safety which helps prevent the 2nd leading cause of backover fatalities in the U.S.
• Visual Dok-Lok Verification System which helps reduce processes on the dangerous drive approach
• Real-Time Loading Dock Visibility which helps dock personnel prioritize loading activities to avoid costly detention charges and increase trailer throughput
• Interlocking loading dock equipment for safe sequence of operations to help ensure safety protocols and processes are followed by dock workers and material handling personnel
• Smart, Connected Capabilities for proactive safety and influenced decision-making

By upgrading legacy controls with a new control box, facilities receive a 1 year parts / 1 year labor warranty and are eligible for a Planned Maintenance Program.

3.Wheel Guides: Improving Loading Efficiency

Loading and unloading products in a seamless, efficient way is critical for operations that wants to keep up with today’s delivery demands. Wheel Guides help align backing trailers into the correct dock position, reducing downtime between initial trailer arrival and the ability to properly engage Dok-Lok vehicle restraints. They also provide facility’s unobstructed full-width loading access with on-center positioning while helping to enhance dock seal effectiveness. When paired with Stabilizing Trailer Restraints, wheel guides support the rise in AGVs by helping to protect costly investments in automation at the loading dock with on-center square trailer positioning.

Wheel guides are standard with wheel-based restraints and Rite-Hite trailer lifts but can be added to any vehicle restraint at time of purchase or after, offering a 1 year parts and labor warranty. 

4. Trade-In Options: New Rite-Hite Vehicle Restraints

If the above enhancements don’t meet a facility’s needs, or if working with a capital budget, it may be time to replace your vehicle restraints. Rite-Hite offers the ability to trade-in existing Rite-Hite or competitive restraints for a new Rite-Hite restraint and controls by participating in Rite-Hite’s exclusive Customer Loyalty Program or Trade-In Program.

By replacing your existing vehicle restraints, you are choosing:

• To partner with thought leaders and their longstanding reputation for safety, quality and innovation
• A comprehensive offering of loading dock solutions expertly engineered to meet and exceed industry standards
• Exclusive network of representatives at the global and local levels with expert consultation on a wide range of products and services, catering to customers with varying dock requirements
• Industry-Leading planned maintenance programs and warranties with smart, connected capabilities

The Rite-Hite Solution to Fit Your Loading Dock Needs

Whether on a maintenance or capital budget, Rite-Hite provides loading dock solutions that match evolving industry trends and accommodate various facility needs. It is important to always put the safety of your people, products and equipment first. So, although it is not always realistic to purchase a new vehicle restraint, incremental vehicle restraint enhancements are an ideal way to determine whether to upgrade or replace your truck restraint. Speak with a representative today to ensure you’re loading dock equipment is meeting your facility’s needs.

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