Purchase Tacks: How to Buy Mobile Yard Ramps

Do you want to establish or upgrade your business’s goods-handling hardware? If so, you need to make a choice and nothing beats an informed choice. This guide contains all you need to know to make a successful purchase with a wholly reliable outcome.

First, ensure that the product you’re seeking is the right one for the task. In this instance, we must ask what mobile yard ramps are and what they can do for you and your business.

A mobile yard ramp provides a path from a truck’s load bed to a loading bay’s floor. After it’s positioned with the aid of a forklift truck, the ramp should be secured with chains; wheel chocks are also used to prevent movement. Mobile yard ramps can accommodate the vertical movement of the trailer on its suspension as the payload changes, and when the trailer is emptied (or filled), the ramp may be taken away and stowed pending its next use. Many ramps have integral side lifting pockets, which allow a forklift to load a ramp on to a truck, or to store it vertically against a wall.

These are the common uses of mobile yard ramps but a ramp can also form part of a modular dock. Ramps can also offer a pathway between a loading bay and the yard it serves. For this purpose, they may be fixed on a semi-permanent basis.

Now we know what mobile yard ramps can do, we can consider the advantages they offer. These are twofold, the most important being in terms of safety. Personnel working in or on a trailer, using a pallet truck to move goods rearwards for offloading, risk being struck by a moving forklift or falling off . Using a mobile yard ramp helps negate this. In addition, a standing truck gathers no funds. A mobile yard ramp appreciably reduces this downtime.

Are all mobile yard ramps the same? In general, they are. Four capacities are available, the standard seven, ten, 12 or 15-tonne ramps handling the vast majority of loading/unloading tasks. Such ramps can cater for a wide variety of load bed heights yet maintain a practicable gradient. A well-designed ramp will have safety raves, which are vertical barriers running longitudinally along the sides of the ramp. These are included to prevent a forklift from being driven off the side of the ramp.

Non-standard ramps can meet specific requirements. For example, a longer-than-usual level section, to allow tall, lengthy loads to pass beneath a trailer’s roof, can be given by a specially tailored ramp. Similarly, wider than standard ramps are available. Mobile yard ramps can also employ specialised extras, such as handrails and trailer safety jacks, to enhance their suitability for the job.

Mobile yard ramps have a tough job to do in all weathers so they must themselves be tough. Steel construction is typical and using this material effectively lets the ramps’ structure handle the dynamic loads imposed safely and efficiently. This in turn gives a long service life, reducing the need for fatigue maintenance. A scratch and chip-resistant finish gives the ramps a workmanlike appearance. Such a finish, especially one with rust-inhibiting qualities, also enhances service life.

A mobile yard ramp must, by definition, be movable. Manoeuvrability is to be expected but well-designed ramps are also easy to use. Finely balanced ramps with strong, urethane-tyred wheels are easily moved with a forklift, especially if they have an appropriate push/pull attachment. Look for safety raves of an adequate height and ensure that accessories including wheel chocks, safety chains and anchor brackets aren’t optional extras. Refinements such as side lifting pockets and operation using a fitted, hand-operated hydraulic pump should be included as standard. An expanded metal open-mesh working surface promotes grip and reduces weight.

We know what makes a good mobile yard ramp but what makes a good ramp manufacturer? A long history of manufacturing, servicing and maintenance is hard to beat, so seek a company with experience. Some companies also offer mobile yard ramp hire; this allows them to frequently and regularly monitor their products’ usability and longevity. Respected companies operate to the international standard ISO 9001, which is far and away the world’s most advanced quality framework. It’s also worth finding a company with membership of the Association of Lift Equipment Manufacturers (ALEM). Companies with this are certain to be aware of, and comply with, all current legislation.

There are significant advantages to buying British. Finding products from a ‘local’ manufacturer allows you to visit the factory and see items under construction. While it may be distressingly easy for a product’s shortcomings to be disguised with a smart finish and impressive badges, poor workmanship and/or cheap materials cannot be concealed during manufacture. In addition, look for a company that manufactures in-house, so it can cater for the majority of special requirements. Moreover, quality control standards are a matter of pride to any good manufacturer; don’t be afraid to ask about them.

This brings us to a crucial point. Even an impressive list of specifications can’t answer every question. For example, do you know exactly what type of mobile yard ramp you need? Can you give the exact weight capacity figures you want? Do you know the weight of the goods, the weight of what contains or carries them and the weight of your pallet trucks and forklifts? If you don’t, you’d be well advised to make a checklist. However, a good manufacturer will help you arrive at an exact product specification. This is particularly important as an incorrect specification can be an extremely costly mistake. Similarly, a massive range of products is offered by a huge array of suppliers but ‘cheapest’ rarely means ‘best’.

With the aid of the above, you should be able to tick all the boxes, finding the mobile yard ramps with the embellishments you need at a realistic price. Arguably more importantly, you’ll be able to find a trustworthy manufacturer who will give you an attractive quote supported by all the advice and information you need. Good hunting!

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