There's an old adage about a jack-of-all-trades being a master of none. It's fair comment but it could be considered rather short sighted. When it comes to load-handling equipment, there are assemblies that are in effect jacks of two trades - and masters of both. Here's how mobile loading platforms can be both stable and flexible.

Picture the scene: you have a number of dedicated loading bays but undertaking hand unloading of deliveries represents inefficiency at best, and downtime at worst. In another scenario, you may not have any fixed loading bays. The solution in both these settings is using one or more mobile loading platforms.

"If Mohammad can't go to the mountain, let the mountain come to Mohammad.", said the English philosopher Frances Bacon, in 1625. In this instance, however, the mountain (the loading facility) can go to Mohammed (the truck to be unloaded). How? Mobile loading platforms are equipped with forklift pockets and can be placed next to the truck in question, wherever the terrain permits.

So, what about stability and safe working? Mobile loading platforms are available with safe working loads of 3,000kg or more. They come in various sizes and may even be designed to answer your specific needs. They have flaps that sit on the load bed of the truck being unloaded, and chains are used to close off openings that are not in use. An access ladder is provided and handrails are included. You may have noted by now that there is no mention of a power supply or hydraulic operation. Mobile loading platforms need neither - no hassle, minimal service and maintenance requirements, no problem.

Mobile yard ramps are of a tried, tested and trusted design, as well as being simple, strong and stable. Consequently, the list of optional extras is small. There is the abovementioned range of alternative sizes, and bespoke platforms for special situations are available. A variety of gates and handrails are also offered; mobile loading platforms may be tailored as individual items or as part of a collection. Stability in use - and therefore safety - can be enhanced with the aid of securing chains and/or vehicle chocks, and additional anti-slip surfaces may be specified. Moveable castors are also on offer to augment mobility. Plus, British (and Northern European) weather being what it is, canopies are available to keep your personnel, and the goods in transit from truck to destination, unaffected by rain, or worse.

You could say that usually, a problem is a solution waiting to be discovered. Mobile loading platforms can represent the solution to any number of problems at the business end of the logistical chain. They can be stored until needed, placed with remarkable ease, need very little servicing and maintenance, and they can pay for themselves many times over. Their simplicity gives them a satisfyingly long service life and, in comparison to that of a fixed, dedicated loading bay, their cost is modest.

In the case of a loading bay on which the demands are particularly variable, the flexibility of the loading and unloading arrangements made possible by mobile loading platforms is a positive advantage. However, using them as an adjunct to dedicated loading bays also facilitates the handling of unusual - and even one-off - cargo-handling tasks.

About The Author

Louise Slee, is a Web Marketer, view her articles at http://www.chaseequipment.co.uk/

Where she reviews products and discusses topics relating to Loading Bay Equipment