What Is A Yard Ramp?
A yard ramp is a mobile device that is used to move freight by giving the unloader ground level access to transport materials from the back of a semi-truck to a warehouse. A yard ramp is becoming one of the most popular ways to be able to move freight without having to rely on a truck loading dock.
How Does A Yard Ramp Work?
If your warehouse does not have a loading dock to unload your trucks, investing in a yard ramp can turn any warehouse into a fully functioning freight center. There are several different yard ramps that you can purchase to assist with your delivery needs, but one of the most popular yard ramp options uses a one-cylinder hydraulic system to raise and lower to virtually any height you need.
The most efficient yard ramps are engineered to not only be adjustable but also to be the fastest at lowering and raising to different heights. The next part that is essential to the yard ramp is the 15-inch lip. This lip is designed to fit the ramp comfortably to the back end of the trailer. From there, safety chains are attached to further secure the ramp and prevent it from pulling away.
The best yard ramps come with a dock plate on the far end to help tow motors and other equipment have the smoothest transitions to help limit product damages and other safety hazards from occurring.
These are just a few of the main features that a great yard ramp will have to make the job more efficient, safe, and effective.
The Benefits of a Yard Ramp
There are several ways that a yard ramp will improve your time on the job. With the best-engineered ramps, there will be a significant increase in productivity and safety, and the yard ramps will help make the best use of the space you have.
Features of a Well-Engineered Yard Ramp
- Raise Times- Fast raise and lower times to limit job wait times
- Easy to Operate- Convenient access to pump on the outside of the yard ramp, for quick and convenient access
- Stability- Centrally located cylinder designed to prevent tipping of the ramps
- Pneumatic Tires- Grooved tires for better handling and weather conditions
Common Uses For Yard Ramps
Yard ramps are used across a wide variety of industries, below are just a few examples of how yard ramps are used.
Typical uses of our heavy-duty, high-capacity steel yard ramps include:
- Industrial equipment applications
- Construction equipment, machinery, and supplies
- Flatbed truck unloading/loading
- Military applications such as loading military vehicles and equipment
- Tractors, skid steers, bobcats, and other heavy equipment
- Heavy equipment rentals
- Warehouse equipment
- Car and vehicle ramps
Why Use a Yard Ramp?
Using a yard ramp will not only increase the efficiency of your shipments, but it will also improve the work environment for your team members. When using a portable yard ramp, it is highly important that the ramp is properly
secured, and all of your staff has been properly trained on the owner’s manual. To find the best yard ramp suppliers, do some research on what yard ramps will best fit your needs and go from there.