Loading ramps and loading/unloading of truck

Driving a forklift into a lorry or trailer looks routine but is one of the most hazardous tasks at a terminal. The truck is heavy, the jump from ramp edge to trailer floor is small, and the vehicle you're driving into can move. If it goes wrong, the truck typically falls between trailer and ramp — with the driver underneath.

• 01Trailer creep: the trailer moves away from the ramp and a gap opens where the truck drives into.
• 02Unintended unloading: the driver drives off the ramp while the truck is still inside the trailer.
• 03Tipped trailer: a trailer without a tractor tips forward or backward when the truck drives in.
• 04Fall from ramp edge: the truck drives off an unprotected ramp edge to the side.
• 05Poor trailer floor: a rotted or overloaded floor gives way under the truck.

Each time the truck drives in and out of the trailer, its weight and movement push the vehicle slightly forward. The trailer's soft suspension and any drop in the yard surface amplify the effect, so a small gap grows until the truck one day drives down into the gap. Therefore a trailer must never simply stand on its own brakes during loading — it must be secured.

• 01The trailer's parking brake is set, the engine stopped and the key as far as possible with the loader (key/communication procedure).
• 02Wheel chocks and/or restraint are in place and working.
• 03If the semi-trailer is disconnected from the tractor, the front end must be properly supported with the trailer's landing gear on solid ground or with additional stands — otherwise it can tip forward under the truck's weight.
• 04Dock leveller/ramp plate is laid correctly and has full overlap on the trailer floor.
• 05Trailer floor is intact, clean and dry and can bear the truck plus load.
• 06Light signal (red/green at the gate) shows that it is safe to drive in — and the driver knows that work is being done in the trailer.

A semi-trailer that is disconnected rests at the front on its support legs. If a heavy truck drives right into the trailer, the centre of gravity can shift so much that the support legs give way or the trailer tips — a classic and fatal accident. Therefore, support the front end with a trailer jackstand/support calculated for the purpose on firm ground when the tractor is not coupled. Also assess whether the floor can bear the truck at the front.

The transition between ramp and trailer is made with a dock leveller (fixed ramp compensation) or a loose ramp plate/driving plate. It must have sufficient load capacity, lie stable and have full overlap at both ends, so it cannot slide off when the trailer moves slightly. Drive perpendicular across the joint at low speed and be aware of the level difference, which causes a jolt (and a shock to the load).

A loading ramp is an edge with a drop. According to the regulation on the design of fixed workplaces, a ramp must be designed so that people and vehicles do not fall down: clear marking of the edge, and where there is risk of falling, protection such as railings, barriers or marked zones. Never drive along an unprotected ramp edge with the wheel close to it, and keep pedestrians away from the edge and from the area between trailer and ramp.