Safety is of utmost importance. Warehouse injuries account for over 95 million lost work days every year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. One common form of accident, especially among forklift operators, is a situation known as trailer creep. Here’s how to avoid a serious accident from this phenomenon.

What Is Trailer Creep?

In a loading dock, the transport truck or trailer is attached to a dock leveler. This enables efficient loading when operating a forklift, dolly, or pallet jack. When a forklift makes multiple trips back and forth, the repeated motion causes separation between the truck and dock leveler. The gap widens but may not be immediately noticeable by staff members. If the gap widens enough, it can cause an entering or exiting forklift to collapse suddenly to the floor. This can severely injure the operator and damage the forklift.

How to Prevent Trailer Creep

Adhere to strict safety protocol. OSHA has established guidelines in place for trucks, which must be secured using a wheel chock. However, wheel chocks are not 100% fail-proof. The truck can still lurch, or the gear can collapse. Furthermore, wheel chocks can also slip on wet surfaces.

In addition to wheel chocks, we also suggest using wheel-based restraints. These are compatible with most trailers and dedicated transport trucks. Mount the restraint to the dock approach from the rear tire; this prevents the vehicle from gradually lurching forward.

Whatever safety equipment you use, establish a built-in safety check. Perform a visual of every implemented tool. Chocks and other restraint devices can and do wear out over time.

Make Safety Practices a Priority

Arrange your next shipment with Machine Transport. Contact us for a free quote. Injuries are bound to occur in a blue-collar industry such as this. However, you can minimize the incidences by enforcing safety protocols. Trailer creep is completely preventable.

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