What is a Yard Ramp?
A yard ramp is basically a moveable loading dock. It’s a ramp that can be adjoined to the entrance of a freight container, trailer or rail car to permit 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 lift truck access to trailers and freight containers for loading and unloading. This can be at a fixed place of business or a temporary job site. Ramps can be readily repositioned and the height can be adapted to fluctuating vehicle heights.
- Stationary Yard Ramps: For buildings that are equipped with a loading dock, a yard ramp can permit forklifts and other vehicles to move from dock height down to ground height and vice versa. Because this style of ramp isn’t relocated often, it typically doesn’t possess the positioning features included with a portable ramp.
Yard Ramp Configuration
Yard ramps are most often steel construction, although there are also lightweight aluminum styles available. The length of a yard ramp varies by type, but they are quite often in the 30′-40′ range. Ramps that are made for loading and unloading have a “level off” length at the top of the incline so that forklifts have some space to move about.
Portable yard ramps are frequently equipped with solid pneumatic tires so they can be easily reoriented. Ramps can be moved with a forklift using a positioning sleeve attached to the low side of the ramp. The angle of the ramp can be modified with a hydraulic pump.
Ramp surfaces vary, but are frequently constructed of steel grating or diamond plate. Side rails stop forklifts or other equipment from going off the edge. On the top side of the ramp there is a lip meant to overlap the trailer deck or loading dock edge.
Yard Ramp Applications
As mentioned, yard ramps can either enable cargo flow to and from truck height, or allow vehicles to move on and off of a loading dock. That can be useful in many different situations:
- Vehicle Access To Buildings: Yard ramps can allow forklifts to travel freely in facilities that have both a warehouse or production plant and a storage yard. They can also allow other vehicles like delivery vans or small trucks to drive into a facility for loading and unloading or maintenance. If your facility requires routine trave from dock to ground, there are also stationary ramp options that can be installed.
- Industrial Storage Yards: Yard ramps are often used in material storage yards where loading docks are not an option.
- Equipment Relocation: Another common application is for moving heavy equipment, whether it’s for oil & gas, construction, mining, forestry or other industries that utilize large equipment.
- Work Sites: While yard ramps are common in the construction industry, there are many other remote job site situations where ramps may be useful: military supplies and equipment, agricultural totes, outdoor festivals and concerts, etc.
- Dock Expansion: If a warehouse doesn’t have enough loading dock capacity, whether because of volume peaks or unexpected demand, yard ramps can help 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, contact a material handling expert at Welch Equipment today. We have a wide array of choices for nearly any application.
