Custom Loading Dock Platforms: 5 Common Use Cases

A loading dock platform is a free-standing, steel loading structure that does everything a standard loading dock can do, but in a modular format you can quickly install just about anywhere. 

Of course, every loading zone has different challenges and requirements. That’s why BHS, Inc. offers custom Modular Loading Dock Platforms . Need a unique size, capacity, or number of positions? Looking for additional features — from enclosures to dock levelers — to meet a particular need? BHS offers a Modular Loading Dock Platform to match.

Facility operators turn to Modular Loading Dock Platforms to solve a wide variety of challenges. Here are just a few of the standard use cases for a custom-built dock platform.

5 Common Use Cases for Loading Dock Platforms

Modular Loading Dock Platforms are designed for quick, versatile installation. Adjustable supports create stable docks on virtually any surface, with or without concrete slabs, while bolt-together construction saves on time and labor costs.

This flexible design makes Modular Loading Dock Platforms ideal for a number of real-world docking scenarios. Here are five of the most common reasons customers turn to BHS for custom steel docking infrastructure:

1. You lack the time or funds for traditional dock construction.

Installing new dock positions at your facility can be a costly proposition, both in terms of cash and time. Knocking down walls, pouring concrete, and installing auxiliary equipment can add up to tens of thousands of dollars, plus weeks of work — during which time you lose access to essential loading positions.

Modular Loading Dock Platforms allow you to produce more dock height positions without traditional construction. You can install them in hours or days, not weeks or months. Once in place, these free-standing docks offer safe, reliable service comparable to the highest-quality concrete docks.

This quick installation allows you to respond to sudden fluctuations in throughput, expanding your shipping capability essentially overnight. And it does so for a fraction of the price of traditional dock construction.

2. You don’t have permission to permanently alter your facility.

If you own your warehouse or distribution center, you can build more dock positions whenever you like (assuming you get the right permits and local permissions). But many logistics operators don’t own their facilities.

If you rent or lease a building, the owner might not allow you to knock holes in the rear wall for more dock positions. Dock platforms allow you to get the loading capacity you need without permanent changes to the property. Then, when your lease ends, you can easily deconstruct a Modular Loading Dock Platform and take it with you to your next facility.

3. You need temporary loading docks.

Maybe your facility is under construction. Maybe you’re tasked with standing up a temporary shipping facility. Either way, on-site loading docks are a must — and Modular Loading Dock Platforms from BHS fill the need. Install them anywhere, even on uneven ground, then deconstruct them and carry them away for future use.

4. Your facility is stuck with ground-level loading.

Older buildings may have terrific loading zones, but no dock-height positions to match. If your dock doors stand at ground level, you’re stuck using Yard Ramps to load and unload standard trailers via forklift. That can reduce your facility’s overall efficiency.

Modular Loading Dock Platforms stand at trailer height for direct forklift traffic. They can also incorporate heavy-duty forklift ramps, simplifying the trip from trailers to ground-level loading zones. With loading dock platforms installed and ready for trailers, you’ll create a more productive shipping/receiving operation nearly instantly.

5. You need more dock positions at your existing facility.

BHS, Inc. is a leader in custom design, engineering, and manufacturing for warehouse equipment and infrastructure. This set of capabilities allows us to personalize your dock platform for any need — including creating multiple loading positions where you only have a single dock door.

If you’re struggling with dock capacity at your facility, odds are Modular Loading Dock Platforms provide the solution. Contact the loading dock experts BHS, Inc. to discuss your project today.