A dock leveler forms a ramp to bridge the distance between the dock and truck. It must be able to compensate for the up-and-down movement of the trailer during loading and unloading. A dock leveler must support extremely heavy loads, service a wide range of truck heights, and compensate for tilted trucks. A dock leveler includes a ramp and a lip. The ramp is hinged at along its rear edge, and the lip is hinged at the front of the ramp. To use a dock leveler, raise the ramp. The lip will swing out. With the lip extended, lower the ramp until the lip rests on the truck.
The two common types of dock levelers are recessed and edge-of-dock.
