Search for loading bay equipment and you'll mostly find dock levellers, dock shelters and industrial doors — kit for buildings designed around a raised loading dock. But plenty of UK warehouses, yards and factories work without one: containers are dropped at ground level, trailers are parked in the yard, and goods move in and out by forklift and pallet truck. This guide covers the equipment that makes ground-level loading work safely — container ramps, trailer safety supports and the access and protection kit around them.
The ground-level loading problem
A standard shipping container sits about 150 mm off the ground on its corner castings, and a parked semi-trailer bed is over a metre up. Neither can be driven into by a forklift without either a raised dock or a ramp. Improvising — scaffold boards, stacked pallets, driving stock to the edge and dragging it — is slow and is exactly the kind of unassessed lifting operation PUWER and a goods-in risk assessment should rule out. The fix is purpose-built: a loading ramp rated for the truck, and supports that keep a detached trailer stable while you work inside it.
Container access ramps (forklift ramps)
A ground-level container ramp is a forklift ramp that bridges from the yard surface up into the container doorway, designed for standard containers with a 150 mm floor height. Our Thorworld container access ramps are manufactured in Chesterfield, UK, with steel models typically supplied in 6,000 kg, 10,000 kg or 12,000 kg capacities to suit your truck-plus-load weight, and other capacities available on request.
There are two formats. The ramp-only design is a one-piece incline, repositioned from the front by forklift, giving a steady slope into the container floor. The ramp-and-platform design is moved from the side and adds a level working area at container-floor height, so the truck can pause and turn rather than working entirely on the slope. Which suits you depends on traffic, space in front of the container and what you're carrying — our container ramp buying guide works through the decision in detail. If you use temperature-controlled containers or anything with a raised or set-back floor, check the spec before ordering — bespoke specials can be accommodated.
Trailer safety supports
When a cab unit drops a trailer and drives away, the trailer stands on its landing legs — and the weight distribution changes every time a forklift enters it. Load concentrated at the far (front) end during loading or unloading can tip the trailer forwards, and landing-leg failure has the same result. A trailer safety support (also called a trailer prop stand) is the control: wheel it under the trailer's fifth-wheel plate, then ratchet it up to height so the trailer is supported before anyone drives in.
Our Thorworld trailer safety support carries a 36,500 kg supporting capacity, with a handle and wheels for one-person positioning, height adjustment by ratchet, and a high-visibility yellow gloss finish. An optional safety sign is available, pre-fitted with a clip that attaches to a standard air hose fitting — a simple way to make "support in place" visible to drivers before they couple up. If forklifts enter detached trailers on your site, your risk assessment should say how the trailer is stabilised; a prop support is the standard answer.
Access and protection around the loading area
Two more things round out a ground-level goods-in area. First, people access: order pickers and checkers need a safe way up to vehicle beds and high stock — see our warehouse steps and work platforms rather than climbing on the load. Second, impact protection: forklifts working ramps and yard space all day will eventually clip something, so safety barriers and guard rails around walkways, doorways and the ramp approach keep a misjudged turn from becoming an injury or a structural repair.
Setting up ground-level loading: a checklist
Before you buy, confirm: a smooth, flat, sturdy surface in front of the container position (ramps need it); your forklift's laden weight against the ramp capacity — truck plus heaviest load, not just the load; who repositions the ramp and how (front by FLT for ramp-only, side for ramp-and-platform); how detached trailers are supported before entry; and how pedestrians are kept clear of the ramp and yard routes. Get those five right and a yard with no dock can turn containers around as safely as a built dock.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a dock leveller? Only if you have a raised dock. We don't supply dock levellers — if your containers and trailers are handled at ground level, a container access ramp does the job without civil works.
What capacity forklift ramp do I need? Rate the ramp for your forklift's service weight plus its heaviest load, with headroom. Thorworld steel ramps come in 6,000, 10,000 and 12,000 kg capacities as standard.
Are trailer safety supports a legal requirement? No specific regulation names them, but PUWER and HSE guidance on workplace transport expect you to control the risk of trailers tipping during loading. If forklifts enter detached trailers, a support under the fifth wheel is the recognised control.
Can a pallet truck use a container ramp? Gradients that are easy for a forklift are hard work for a hand pallet truck under load — if regular manual handling up the ramp is planned, consider a powered pallet truck.
This guide is general information, not site-specific safety advice — base decisions on your own risk assessment.