What is a Yard Ramp?
A yard ramp is essentially a transportable loading dock. These ramps can be adjoined to the opening of a shipping container, semi trailer or rail car to facilitate access by forklifts or pallet trucks.
Yard ramps serve two main roles and have two distinct types:
- Mobile Yard Ramps: For buildings without a loading dock, they permit forklift access to trailers and freight containers for loading and unloading. This can be at a permanent location or a temporary job site. Ramps can be easily moved and the height can be adapted to fluctuating vehicle levels.
- Stationary Yard Ramps: For buildings that include a loading dock, a yard ramp can enable lift trucks and other equipment to travel from dock level down to ground height and vice versa. Because this type of ramp doesn’t need to be relocated on a regular basis, it typically doesn’t come equipped with the positioning features included with a mobile ramp.
Yard Ramp Configuration
Yard ramps are primarily made of steel, although there are also lighter weight aluminum options available. The length of a yard ramp varies by application, but they are usually in the 30′-40′ range. Ramps designed for lift truck traffic have a “level off” segment at the top of the incline so that forklifts can more easily maneuver.
Portable yard ramps are typically equipped with solid pneumatic tires so they can be efficiently relocated. Ramps can be moved with a fork truck using a positioning sleeve attached to the bottom end of the ramp. The angle of the ramp can be adjusted with a hydraulic pump.
Ramp decking varies, but is commonly constructed of steel diamond plate or grating. Rails along the sides stop forklifts or other equipment from rolling over the edge. At the elevated end of the ramp there is a lip designed to overlap the trailer deck or loading dock edge.
Yard Ramp Applications
As stated, yard ramps can either enable retrieval of freight or goods from truck height, or allow equipment to travel on and off of a loading dock. That can be advantageous in many different situations:
- Vehicle Access To Buildings: Yard ramps can permit forklifts to move without restriction on properties that have both a warehouse or production plant and an outside storage yard. In addition, they can enable other vehicles like pickup trucks or vans to enter a building for loading, maintenance or other purposes. For buildings that require routine movement from ground to dock, stationary ramps are an excellent choice.
- Material Storage Yards: Ramps are frequently put to use in material storage yards where loading docks are not an option.
- Equipment Relocation: Moving heavy equipment is another popular application, whether it’s for oil & gas, construction, mining, forestry or other businesses that use heavy equipment.
- Work Sites: Yard ramps are often used at construction job sites to deliver materials, but there are many other remote job site situations where they may be put to use: loading agricultural totes, military equipment and supplies, outdoor concerts and festivals, etc.
- Dock Expansion: If a warehouse doesn’t have enough loading dock slots available, whether because of volume peaks or seasonal demand, yard ramps can quickly increase capacity on a temporary basis without construction.
Yard Ramps Near Me
If you have questions about yard ramps or need to discuss sales or rentals, talk to a material handling expert at Welch Equipment today. We have a vast range of options for almost any application.
