Rite-Hite, the Loading Bay safety business, has passed a major milestone in Loading Bay safety – the delivery of its 20,000th Global Wheel-Lok system in Europe. The news follows soon after the company announced that manufacture of the award-winning system has also commenced in Germany to serve its European customer base.
Proven in market for more than 20 years, the Global Wheel-Lok is designed to secure any type of trailer to the Loading Bay, preventing well-known incidents such as vehicle creep (‘dock walk’), and accidents caused by a vehicle leaving its bay too early.
Traditional wheel chocks tend to be unreliable, especially in poor weather conditions, and are often not strong enough to prevent a vehicle from pulling away unexpectedly. They also require someone to physically manhandle them into position and remove them after use.
With Rite-Hite’s system, the driver simply reverses their vehicle to the Bay where wheel guides ensure accurate positioning onto the Global Wheel-Lok. As the tyre crosses the locking arm, the barrier rises and, using the energy of the trailer, follows the tyre until the trailer stops against the dock bumpers. The tyre is then locked in place, and a simple ‘green/red’ lighting system indicates to the driver – and the Loading Bay workers – that it is safe to continue.
When loading/unloading is completed, the Loading Bay worker presses the ‘unlock’ button to release the locking teeth, and a green light is displayed to the driver. The locking arm follows the trailer tyre back to its original resting position, and the vehicle is safe to leave.
Thorsten Mauritz, the Marketing Manager for Rite-Hite in Europe, says that Rite-Hite has a proud track record in Loading Bay Safety: “Our Global Wheel-Lok system has been protecting lives and improving safety for more than two decades, and is still recognised for its innovation and ease of use.
“Thousands of customers worldwide have come to trust the confidence and assurance that Global Wheel-Lok delivers in enhancing safety and supporting operational efficiency. It is one part of a range of solutions designed and proven to improve safety, security, productivity, energy savings and environmental control within a logistics environment,” he says.
The Global Wheel-Lok is self-powered and has only four main components, making it extremely reliable and easy to maintain. It is also particularly robust, capable of resisting up to 14,500kg of pull out force. It is recognised as Europe’s only restraint to exceed the requirement for an FEM Class 3 vehicle restraint on both empty and full trailers.
