Dock Leveler Selection Guide — Capacity, Platform and Shelter
Published:
Publisher: Alkur Kapı Sistemleri A.Ş.
When selecting a dock leveler for your facility, four decision points stand out: capacity class, platform size, lip type and dock-shelter pairing. This guide explains what to look at in each step, based on the NORMDOCK dock leveler product data. NORMDOCK is Turkey’s first domestic CE-certified dock leveler and complies with the EN 1398 European standard.
Capacity class: 6 tons or 9 tons?
NORMDOCK levelers are produced with a 6,000 kg dynamic + 9,000 kg static load capacity. The capacity sets the minimum safety limit for the maximum load (forklift + carried load) that will pass over the leveler:
- For operations running with standard pallets and light forklifts, 6 tons is usually sufficient.
- For facilities with heavy forklifts (4-5 ton class + load) or container traffic, the 9-ton class is selected.
Sharing your forklift’s technical label and your daily load profile together with your quotation request makes the correct capacity selection easier.
Dynamic load and static load are not the same
Capacity is given as two figures describing different situations. Dynamic load (6,000 kg) is the load in transit across the leveller: a moving forklift and the pallet it carries. Static load (9,000 kg) is the limit for a stationary load.
What has to enter the calculation is the forklift’s own weight plus the load it carries. A 2.5 tonne forklift carrying a 2 tonne pallet reaches 4.5 tonnes in total, and the dynamic effects of manoeuvring come on top. This is why you need to share the unladen weight from the forklift’s data plate as well, not just its lifting capacity.
Platform size and pit preparation
Two standard platform sizes are offered:
- 2,000 × 2,500 mm — compact operation, saves space.
- 2,000 × 3,000 mm — for long forklift brackets and pallet manoeuvring; a wider platform requires less manoeuvring.
The recommended rise/fall height range is +32 / -32 cm; a wider height range requires custom manufacturing. Pit detail drawings for both sizes are provided as PDFs so the leveler pit can be prepared correctly at the construction stage.
Pit preparation: the most expensive mistake lives here
A wrong decision about the product can be corrected later; a wrongly poured pit cannot, it gets broken out. This is why the pit detail must reach the construction team at project stage.
We publish ready pit detail drawings for both standard platform sizes, and they carry a critical convenience: the pit detail is identical for hinged and telescopic lip types. You can therefore start construction before settling the lip, and that decision does not hold up the concrete.
What the pit needs:
Perimeter anchor — an 80 × 80 mm angle is set around the pit; the leveller frame seats on it.
Cable duct — a 50 mm duct is run for the hydraulic unit supply.
Level and square — pit dimensions and corner squareness are confirmed before the concrete is poured.
Drainage — on open docks, drainage is planned so water does not collect in the pit.
The recommended range for rise and fall is +32 / −32 cm. Check at project stage whether the difference between your dock level and the bed height of the vehicles you work with falls within that range; a wider range calls for special manufacture.
Lip type: Hinged or telescopic?
| Feature | Hinged-lip | Telescopic |
|---|---|---|
| Operating principle | Front leaf (flap) tips from above | Lip slides forward from below |
| Flap / Lip length | 300 – 400 mm | 600 mm standard / 1,000 mm optional |
| Platform plate | 6 – 8 mm teardrop | 8 – 10 mm teardrop |
| Vehicle bed reach | Short-medium distance | Distant point (trailer even 1 m away) |
| Typical use | Fleet with fixed bed size | Different trailer depth — flexible scenario |
In a logistics fleet with fixed bed sizes, the hinged-lip type is sufficient; in flexible scenarios with different truck and trailer sizes and a distant load point, the telescopic type is required. The hinged-lip type also comes with a Single Leaf or 3 Leaf (1+2) option: single leaf operates faster for standard dispatch, while three leaves allow vehicles of different heights to be aligned across a wide range.
Lip length and trailer distance
On the hinged type the flap is 300 – 400 mm, while on the telescopic type the lip is 600 mm as standard with 1,000 mm optional. That difference decides directly how far into the vehicle bed you can reach.
If you work with a fleet of fixed bed sizes, the hinged type is both sufficient and mechanically simpler. If you work with varying trailer depths, or vehicles cannot berth fully against the dock, the telescopic type is required; the 1,000 mm option allows loading even where the trailer stands a metre away. Platform plate also changes with type: 6 – 8 mm on hinged, 8 – 10 mm on telescopic, in tear-drop steel.
Hydraulic system and safety equipment
Whichever type you choose, the drive and safety package is standard:
- Motor: 380 V three-phase / 50 Hz / 1 HP (0.75 kW).
- Solenoid valve: The leveler does not drop down during a power outage; it remains fixed.
- Control unit: IP54 protection — resistant to dust and water splash.
- Operating temperature: -10 °C / +40 °C; maximum noise 70 dB.
- Safety: Finger-protection mechanism, maintenance safety bar and an anti-slip teardrop steel platform surface.
Dock-shelter pairing: A complete loading line
The leveler bridges the level difference between the vehicle and the floor; the NORMDOCK dock shelter surrounds the vehicle’s trailer to form a semi-enclosed buffer zone that isolates the loading area from outside weather. The two systems complement each other.
The shelter’s standard size is 3,400 × 3,450 × 620 mm; production up to 4,200 × 4,500 × 1,000 mm is possible for special projects. The PVC fabric compliant with the DIN 53352 / 53356 / 75200 standards (3 mm thickness, 900 g/m² density) is anti-static and stain-resistant, making it suitable for food, pharmaceutical and beverage facilities and lines requiring HACCP/GMP hygiene control. In cold storage applications it reduces temperature loss and saves energy.
Shelter selection and hygiene requirements
The standard shelter size is 3,400 × 3,450 × 620 mm, with production possible up to 4,200 × 4,500 × 1,000 mm on special projects. Intermediate sizes can be produced on a project basis, with the trailer perimeter and site frame dimensions established at size confirmation.
The curtain uses PVC conforming to DIN 53352 / 53356 / 75200 at 3 mm thickness and 900 g/m²; its anti-static, stain-resistant construction governs in food, pharmaceutical and beverage facilities and on lines under HACCP/GMP hygiene control. In cold store applications the shelter reduces temperature loss during loading and so delivers energy savings directly — the real reason for planning it together with the leveller.
Planning the leveller and shelter together
Dimensioning both systems at once brings three advantages. Dimensional fit is assured (the shelter opening aligns with the leveller platform on one line), a single shipment lowers cost, and installation completes in one visit. Where a shelter is added later, its opening has to be forced to suit the leveller and insulation performance suffers.
One last reminder
The most expensive mistake in leveler selection is made not at purchase but at construction: a badly prepared pit. So whichever model you choose, get the pit detail drawings to your construction team early — the PDFs are ready on the product page. For everything else, the Loading Systems page and our contact form are at your service.
