Generally speaking, how close must a truck be backed to a dock

Nice, that’s a solid move IMO. Lolol

 

It doesn't matter if you're straight into the dock or not, as long as the forklift driver can get in and out.... I usually hit it at an angle, and I don't care if my nose is halfway over into the next stall.

 

90 degree back into all docks. Solid choice.

 

He's playing video games. Enough said

 

Our barn you need to be touching the dock or else the plate won't reach. It's a pain in the ### with the old narrow trailers because they are exactly as wide as the plates so if it's not 100% perfectly straight they will be calling you on the radio to fix it. I don't know that from experience.....a friend told me.....lol.
Hate those things lol.

 

You know I jest, well, if you didn't...you do now. Ha!

Bright side....at lest your not a Jets fan....

I would offer some kind of helpful reply but I feel you have reached your quote of helpful posts in your thread for today. Thank you for your understanding.

Sirscrapntruckalot - Mondays offend me, please ban them.

 

Whenever I get close enough to a dock at my delivery, I switch it to split screen. I give the shipper clerk an extra headset and PS4 console and they guide me back using the realistic multiple camera views. Then I pretend to pull off the imaginary load locks, store them and ask where the nonexistent bathroom is.

 

Ideally, what want to do is back until you bump the dock, then go out to see how much gap there is between the rear of your trailer and the dock itself.

Precisely how close you'll need to be will always depend on whichever shipper or consignee you are at. As a general rule, there needs to be a large enough gap between the dock and your trailer for the folding steel plate attached to the dock to be lifted up and then folded outwards to rest on the rear of your trailer.

This allows the gap between dock and trailer to be connected via a solid platform. The gap is usually 3 to 8 inches depending upon the dock.

Other docks have no attached steel plate, but have one that is put in place by a forklift. Docks such as these require a very narrow gap of not more than a few inches to allow proper seating of this plate. It's 'T' shaped with the shaft being short.

Hope this helps.

 

I honestly don’t know I can’t back up...

I usually hire the closest mega fleeter I can find to do my backing...

 

In my admittedly brief experience (one year of trucking after 20 years of bus driving), most docks have small rubber bumpers that extend out a few inches, as do our trailer bumpers. I back up until I contact them, and that works. I’ve never been asked to move.