Dock Boards
Steel Dock Boards and Plates
Where a bay runs steel-wheeled trucks, castings or swarf-laden pallets, a steel deck outlasts an aluminium one. The S&L steel range uses diamond…
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Dock Equipment · Dock Boards
Aluminium Dock Boards With Steel Safety Curbs
An aluminium dock board bridges the gap and the height difference between a dock edge and a trailer bed. The S&L TAS series publishes 21 models across three capacity classes, so the board can be matched to the fork truck and load that will actually cross it.
Product Overview
What This Product Is and Where It Fits
Three things decide which board you need: the rated capacity, the width of the widest truck that will cross, and the height difference between dock and trailer bed.
Capacity classes are 10,000, 15,000 and 20,000 lb. The rating has to cover the fork truck plus its load plus the operator, not just the pallet weight, which is where most undersized boards come from.
Widths are 60 and 72 inches. Lengths run 36, 48, 60 and 72 inches, and the published height difference for each model rises with length, from 5 inches on a 36 inch board to 12 inches on a 72 inch board. A longer board gives a shallower ramp angle for the same step.
Every model in the series carries steel safety curbs down both sides, which is what keeps a wheel on the board if the truck wanders during the crossing.
Key Benefits
Three Reasons Buyers Specify This Line
Aluminium deck, steel curbs
The deck is light enough for a dock team to reposition between bays; the curbs are steel because that is the part that takes a wheel.
Published height difference per model
Each TAS model lists the step it is designed for, so the ramp angle is a specification rather than a guess.
Three capacity classes on the same footprint
A 60 x 48 inch board exists at 10,000, 15,000 and 20,000 lb, so a site can upgrade capacity without changing the dock layout.
Application Scenarios
- Dock-to-trailer loading at a fixed dock
- Ground-level loading from a ramp to a trailer bed
- Temporary bays during a dock rebuild
- Container loading where the floor height differs from the dock
Who It Is For
- Distribution centres matching board capacity to a fork truck fleet
- Dock contractors specifying boards for a new build
- Industrial distributors carrying a dock board programme
- Warehouse managers replacing a board that is too short for the height difference
Problems It Solves
- Boards rated for the pallet weight rather than the truck plus load
- Ramp angle too steep because the board is too short for the step
- Wheels dropping off the side of an unkerbed board
- Steel boards too heavy for a dock team to move between bays
Technical Features
What Is Actually Published For This Line
21 published models
TAS-10, TAS-15 and TAS-20 series, seven sizes in each capacity class.
Steel safety curbs
Full-length steel curbs on both sides of the aluminium deck.
Raised tread deck
Tread pattern across the full deck width for wheel and foot grip.
Lift handles
Handles for repositioning the board between bays.
Specifications
Aluminium Dock Boards Specification Table
Every figure below is transcribed from the specification sheets S&L published for this line. Where a figure is not published, it is marked rather than estimated.
| Model | Width in | Length in | Height Diff in | Net Weight lbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10,000 lbs Capacity | ||||
| TAS-10-6036 | 60 | 36 | 5 | 103 |
| TAS-10-6048 | 60 | 48 | 7 | 145 |
| TAS-10-6060 | 60 | 60 | 10 | 169 |
| TAS-10-6072 | 60 | 72 | 12 | 227 |
| TAS-10-7236 | 72 | 36 | 5 | 127 |
| TAS-10-7248 | 72 | 48 | 7 | 175 |
| TAS-10-7260 | 72 | 60 | 10 | 230 |
| 15,000 lbs Capacity | ||||
| TAS-15-6036 | 60 | 36 | 5 | 121 |
| TAS-15-6048 | 60 | 48 | 7 | 161 |
| TAS-15-6060 | 60 | 60 | 10 | 219 |
| TAS-15-6072 | 60 | 72 | 12 | 300 |
| TAS-15-7236 | 72 | 36 | 5 | 137 |
| TAS-15-7248 | 72 | 48 | 7 | 195 |
| TAS-15-7260 | 72 | 60 | 10 | 260 |
| 20,000 lbs Capacity | ||||
| TAS-20-6036 | 60 | 36 | 5 | 125 |
| TAS-20-6048 | 60 | 48 | 7 | 178 |
| TAS-20-6060 | 60 | 60 | 10 | 250 |
| TAS-20-6072 | 60 | 72 | 12 | 324 |
| TAS-20-7236 | 72 | 36 | 5 | 147 |
| TAS-20-7248 | 72 | 48 | 7 | 210 |
| TAS-20-7260 | 72 | 60 | 10 | 301 |
Source: Aluminum Truck Dockboards with Steel Safety Curbs sheet published by S&L Dock Equipment.
Product Photography
Aluminium Dock Boards As Supplied
Every photograph below is from the S&L product records for this line. Nothing is a stock image or a rendering.
Materials
Materials and Finish
Aluminium deck with welded steel safety curbs. Alloy designation is not published on the original TAS sheet and is confirmed at quotation.
ManufacturingHow It Is Made
Deck plate is cut to size, the tread surface and lift handles are worked in, steel curbs are welded to both edges, then the board is finished and the model plate applied.
Quality Control
What Is Checked Before Packing
Width, length, height difference and net weight are checked against the TAS sheet. Curb welds are inspected along their full length before packing.
CertificationsCertification Status
No third-party certification is published for Aluminium Dock Boards in S&L's own documentation, so this page marks it TBC at quotation rather than implying one. Dock board buyers normally need the capacity rating evidenced rather than a certificate. The TAS series publishes its rating per model; for the steel range the rating is confirmed in writing at quotation.
Customisation
Options Within The Published Range
- Any of the 21 published TAS models
- Capacity class selected against the fork truck and load, not the pallet
- Length selected to give the required approach angle for the step
Comparison
How It Compares With The Alternatives
| Option | When To Choose It |
|---|---|
| Aluminium dock board | Lighter deck, easier to reposition between bays, steel curbs where the wear is. |
| Steel dock board | Heavier and normally left in one bay, chosen where abrasion rather than handling is the issue. |
| Dock leveller | A permanent installation. A board is the right answer where the bay is used occasionally or the building is leased. |
Use Guide
Getting It Right On Site
- Add fork truck weight, load weight and operator weight before choosing a capacity class
- Measure the height difference at the bay you will actually use, loaded and unloaded
- Choose the longest board the bay allows so the approach angle stays shallow
- Check both curbs and the tread surface before each shift and take a damaged board out of service
Questions
Aluminium Dock Boards Questions
How do I pick the capacity class?
Total the fork truck weight, the heaviest load it will carry and the operator, then choose the class above that figure. Pallet weight alone will undersize the board.
What height difference does each model handle?
It is published per model and rises with length: 5 inches at 36 inch length, 7 inches at 48 inches, 10 inches at 60 inches and 12 inches at 72 inches.
Why choose aluminium over steel?
Weight. A 60 x 48 inch aluminium board at the 10,000 lb class is 145 lb, light enough for a dock team to move between bays.
Are the safety curbs aluminium too?
No, the curbs are steel. That is the edge a wheel actually contacts.
Do you supply boards outside the published sizes?
The TAS sheet is the standard programme. Anything outside it is quoted separately.
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Related Solutions
Further Reading
Quote Aluminium Dock Boards By Model Code
Name the capacity class and the bay dimensions. Undersized boards almost always come from quoting on pallet weight rather than the whole crossing load.