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How Mechanical Dock Levelers Work

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This video was produced to help you understand how dock levelers work so you can determine if this is the sort of work you feel qualified to do. If you do feel confident working on levelers, and if you remember only one thing from this video, it is this: DOCK LEVELER WORK IS DANGEROUS! Please review, understand, and follow our Dock Leveler Safety Instructions. In addition to this, be advised that it is impossible to anticipate every safety hazard you may encounter. Use your common sense, and, when in doubt, do not get under the leveler.

Only when safety is the priority can you enjoy the thrill of learning new skills. Good mechanics are drawn to the door and dock industry. I started in January of 1979, and I knew after the first week that I could spend the rest of my life in the trade. It’s a pleasure being employed in a job in which every day is different, and the challenges of our work will keep you on your toes throughout your career.

This video the biggest project DDM Web Services has produced for our company. It is the result of many hours of scriptwriting and videotaping, and many, many months of our animator, Chris David. He is to be commended for this outstanding achievement.

The video covers primarily mechanical dock levelers, but there is enough information on pneumatic and hydraulic levelers to provide a basic understanding of how they work.

Mechanical dock levelers come in many designs. Primary attention has been given to the most common types, such as the McGuire, Blue Giant, and DLM. Still, special attention has also been given to the Kelley Power Pak, Serco compression springs, and the Rite Hite cam system for extending and lowering the lip.

If you are unfamiliar with dock levelers, we believe this video will open your understanding of how most levelers work. Furthermore, viewing our tutorials on Dock Leveler Repair and accessing the Dock Levelers overview page can provide you with extra benefits.

Enjoy.

Dan Musick, President,

DDM Garage Doors, Inc.