Knowledge is Power: What You Should Know When Hiring Mobile Yard Ramps

For cargo handling tasks, what you have isn't always what you need. Then again, even the most efficient operation can't possibly own and offer every conceivable piece of hardware and remain competitive.

Take mobile yard ramps, for example. What seems a simple item actually comes in such a variety of sizes and specifications that it's highly unlikely that any one concern could even store all the different units, let alone keep them ready for use. There is an option used by most sensible cargo-handling firms. Like a lot of loading bay equipment, mobile yard ramps can be hired, on a short or long-term basis.

Starting with the basics, we can consider what you should look for. Steel construction is a worthwhile primary requirement, especially if the steel is protected with top quality paint that boasts rust inhibiting additives. However, sturdiness and good looks aren't everything. By definition, mobile yard ramps must be moveable and outstanding design and manufacturing standards are essential to ease of use.

Well-designed mobile yard ramps will be capable of transferring throughout their structure the substantial dynamic loads they must accommodate. Their ability to do this with loads up to, say, 12,000kg, transferring this to twin axles should be a given. The same goes for longevity – they have to cope with such loads day in, day out – for life.

Ease of use is another important factor. Mobile yard ramps may be moved using a forklift truck. Some have a pushing attachment for this purpose. The presence of a tough run-on plate is desirable; after all, having positioned the ramp, a forklift will have to use it. It's also desirable for mobile yard ramps to be finely balanced, making them easy to handle and manoeuvre. There is, in addition, the matter of setting the ramp to the required height. The inclusion of a hydraulic hand pump makes for quick and easy raising and lowering.

Hiring mobile yard ramps makes a lot of sense in terms of both practicality and economy. That said, it's well worth considering any hidden costs when negotiating hire arrangements. What hidden costs? The first that springs to mind is servicing. Mobile yard ramps might not look too complicated but they do have moving parts and there is also the matter of fatigue servicing. Are these included in the hire charge?

The same might apply to transportation. To cope with big, heavy loads, mobile yard ramps must themselves be big and heavy. For example, a 12-tonne ramp can be 11.7 metres long, 2.6 metres wide and weigh nearly 4,200kg. You may have the very vehicle to collect and return a ramp like this but if you haven't, face facts; one isn't going to fit on your car's roof rack. Are delivery and collection included and if they aren't what are the costs?

When hiring, as in many other contexts, knowledge is power. This principle has been known since the 16th Century and it remains useful to this day. Knowing about all the costs – including those that aren't immediately obvious – empowers you to strike the most enticing deal for you, your company and its clients.

If you are considering replacing your mobile yard ramp then contact us. We have designed the 'Titan' range of portable yard ramps to be hard wearing, easy to manoeuvre and simple to operate. Our website has more information at http://www.chaseequipment.co.uk/.

Mobile Loading Platforms: to hire or buy, that is the question

It's a known fact that, in order to unload a truck swiftly and safely, you have to be on a level with it. You may have dedicated loading bays but if you haven't or if the hand unloading of deliveries hogs them for too long, mobile loading platforms are a practical, economic alternative.

Mobile loading platforms do exactly what is says on the tin, or in this case, on the steel. They boast tough, welded steel frame construction, with a strong loading floor. An access ladder facilitates getting up to this; flaps are fitted to give a strong, secure pathway to and from the truck's cargo floor, and there are chains to close openings when they're not in use. A safe working load of 3,000kg – or more if necessary – makes handling heavy goods easy. In fact, mobile loading platforms make dealing with goods that are not packaged on pallets a simple and speedy exercise.

The mobility of mobile loading platforms can be assured in two ways. Forklift pockets form part of their construction, allowing them to be manoeuvred into place with the aid of a standard forklift truck. In addition, movable castors are available as an option. However, when the platform is in use, mobility is the last thing you want. So among the options on offer are securing chains and vehicle chocks to ensure the mobile loading platform and the vehicle it's serving stay put.

Further options include an assortment of gate and handrail configurations from which to choose, as well as supplementary anti-slip surfaces. As pleasant climatic conditions can't be guaranteed, a means of coping with inclement weather is available. At its simplest, this may be a straightforward top canopy. However, side curtains are also available to keep the worst of the weather at bay. More importantly, mobile loading platforms are available in a range of sizes so it's likely you'd be able to find an item that meet your needs perfectly.

The above description shows that mobile loading platforms are a useful adjunct to any loading bay equipment. In some instances, they may represent all the equipment that's needed. In use, they're very much 'fit and forget' items, particularly as there is no need of a costly, complex hydraulic system or power source.
In many instances, mobile loading platforms can be used as stand-ins for busy fixed loading bay equipment. You may also have to offer a short-term solution to a specific cargo handling problem. Here's where the option of hiring mobile loading platforms comes to the fore.

In such a scenario, you can take advantage of the range of sizes and types of mobile loading platform that is available for hire. Investing in a specific size or configuration of platform only makes sense where it will be in regular use for a number of tasks. Often, hiring mobile loading platforms means that, as well as having the use of equipment that's perfect for the job, you might have any necessary servicing included at no charge; a point worth checking with the hire company.

Whether hiring mobile loading platforms, or buying one or more to suit your requirements, the path to suitable units is liable to be no more than a phone call – or mouse click – away.

Chase Equipment are a leading international supplier of mobile loading platforms. See our website at Chase Equipment for more information.

Scissor Lifts Beat Gravity

There comes a time when goods, as well as people, must go up in the world. When levitation arises on the agenda, scissor lifts come into their own. However, as in any heavy engineering endeavour, two hugely important key words apply: health and safety.

Scissor lifts are available in a wide range of sizes and capacities; the costs vary too. This makes it possible to choose the right scissor lift for the task in hand, without endangering the loads to be lifted and lowered and, more importantly, without putting operators at risk.

Here, a further key word applies; compliance. Both the scissor lift and the site where it is to be installed and used must comply with BS EN1570. This, BS EN1570:1999, to give it its full title, is the British Standard for such equipment. Its comprehensive four-page content, mentions, '...raising and/or lowering goods and/or persons associated with the movement of goods carried by the lifting table (i.e. not for passenger use), for a vertical travel of up to 3.0 metres.'

We know the height our BS-compliant lift can handle so what about its capacity? Scissor lifts typically offer load ratings ranging from a usable 500kg up to an impressive 10,000kg. This broad range of capacities means that with the right unit, not only goods but also a complete vehicle can be raised and lowered at will.

This begs a question: how is this heavy metal made safe? The answer is with, in a word, forethought. It's usual for the company supplying the scissor lift, or lifts, to partake in a site meeting, to ensure that the location is correct for the proposed lift and vice versa. Compliance with the abovementioned British Standard is established and matters including installation and subsequent servicing are normally clarified.

In engineering terms, other safety factors are addressed. For example, anti-trap sensor strips are included to stop the lift mechanism dead, should anything be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Similarly, burst valves are included to lock the lift, should a hydraulic hose fail in service. A range of options generally includes safety-related hardware such as handrails, barriers, roll-off guards and mesh enclosures for the scissor lift's platform.

It may seem that scissor lifts just go up – and down – period. However, there's a distinction between a scissor lift and a good scissor lift. As well as doing what scissor lifts do by definition, a good lift will be both well built and tried and tested. It will be dependable as a consequence and can be relied on to do its job day in, day out. Naturally, a full servicing provision will ensure this reliability continues throughout the life of the unit.

So choosing the right scissor lift involves a combination of professional advice and the build quality that goes with it. When you're equipped with the right scissor lift for your needs, your staff will be able to work at the right height, for manual handling, moving goods to the required level or moving a complete vehicle to a level where it may be easily loaded or unloaded.

Chase Equipment are a leading international supplier of scissor lifts, with a competitively priced series ranging from 500kg capacity to 10,000kg capacity. Contact Chase Equipment about your specific scissor lift requirements.

Modular docks, the fast, flexible foundation of loading bay equipment

With loading docks you must sometimes go with the flow. Modular docks represent a system that can be tailored to suit your requirements, over and over again if need be.

You may be justifiably proud of your fixed, conventional loading docks...until a task that needs a different layout and/or height comes along. You may have the chance to rent a standard, low-floored area at an attractive price but installing fixed loading bay equipment in it could soon make the deal anything but an economic proposition. The alternative – modular docks – aren't set in stone, or rather, set in concrete, and they have the advantage of giving you all the flexibility you need.

As their name implies, modular docks are made up of sections. Standard module types are their core components and these come in a number of standard sizes, each with a specified load capacity. Modular docks can typically be easily moved after they're dismantled and they have integral features that make them easy to use and, above all, safe. Peripheral elements, such as tough handrails, access ladders and/or steps, and truck raves enhance both flexibility and safety. It's also important that the loading bay equipment you choose is tough enough to survive typical ‘assaults' by trucks and forklifts...as well as those inexplicable knocks that happen from time to time.

The key point about modular docks lies in the modularity that gives them their name. Their bolt-together platform modules can be assembled in the required configuration over an unlimited area, to create loading docks that fit the available space...and fit the bill, for short-term or extended usage. The components are movable and their mobility means they can be quickly and easily relocated within the loading bay area. Moreover, their layout can be revised equally quickly as and when the need arises. The docks and any associated loading bay equipment can be used to enlarge or reduce the raised area and the variety of loading capacities available allows for the desired weight of operations. This allows you to tailor your loading bay equipment to cope with roll cages, pallet trucks or forklifts.

Modular docks have abilities that fixed loading docks are physically incapable of emulating. In addition to altering their location, layout and size, you can alter their height. This means that low-floored buildings can be equipped with loading bay equipment customized to suit the task in hand. This allows you to take full advantage of the fact that such buildings are widely available to rent at advantageous rates. Moreover, modular docks aren't limited to indoor use. They can be placed out of doors in a yard, either on a short-term basis or for as long a time as they're needed.

You have to be both flexible and versatile to succeed in today's competitive world of cargo handling. This is where the value of modular docks comes to the fore. They can be quickly and easily assembled into a structure with the required rigidity and load capacity. They can be disassembled, modified and/or moved with equal ease. This makes a system of modular docks sufficiently flexible and versatile to counteract the limitations of – and high costs imposed by – fixed loading bay equipment.

Chase Equipment are a leading international supplier of modular docks. See our website at Chase Equipment for more information.