Laminated Dock Bumpers

Laminated Dock Bumpers

Our American manufactured Laminated  Dock Bumpers feature the Durable Corp durability and quality construction many in the industry have relied upon for decades.  Durable Corp’s high quality laminated dock bumpers are manufactured with uniformly punched  bias-ply bus and truck tires laminated between 1/4″ structural steel angles and secured with 3/4 inch (19 mm) steel supporting rods.  Available in a variety of widths, heights, and lengths, we’re confident we’ll have the right product to fit your loading dock and door needs.   All  laminated dock bumpers come with the Durable Corp maintenance free 5 year warranty!

Not sure which model fits your application?  Check out our Dock Bumper Selection Guide or give us a call at 1-800-772-6675.

Laminated Dock Bumper Features

Great for facilities with heavy dock traffic. 

• Withstand years of punishment and provide greatest protection even with consistent pounding and abuse.
• Ultimate protection from fabric reinforced rubber pads
• Pads made from recycled bias-ply bus and truck tires
• Woven on steel rods
• Manufactured under pressure exceeding 1500 pounds
• Shown to absorb over 80% of impact
• Anchor bolts protected by at least 3″ of rubber to prevent damage
• Performs on any truck dock under any weather conditon or prolong exposure
• 5 year manufacturer’s material defect warranty

Dock Bumper Width

A loading dock bumpers width is what protects your door or wall from impact and resulting damage.  It is imperative that you select a bumper with the appropriate width for your loading dock conditions.  General industry recommendation is to have a minimum of a 4″ gap between the back of the serviced trailer and your building, as demonstrated in Fig. 1.  In this case, the loading dock approach is level, so the 4.5″ dock bumper is used resulting in a consistent 4″ gap.  When selecting your dock bumper, be mindful of obstructions such as downspouts and account for their width.  Simply add the width of the obstruction to the 4″ industry standard and select a bumper with a matching width result (eg. 3″ downspout + 4″ gap = 7″ minimum bumper width).

Many loading docks feature a sloped approach, as in Fig. 2.  Note that the trailer is impacting the structure due to an inadequate dock bumper width.  When dealing with a sloped approach the percent of grade will need to be compensated with thicker dock bumpers, as shown in Fig. 3.  To determine dock bumper width with a sloped approach, add 1″ of width for each percent of slope to the industry standard 4″ width (eg. 2% slope + 4″ = 6″ minimum bumper width).  If the loading dock has a ledge (Fig. 4), the width of the ledge may be subtracted from the resulting bumper width.

Some products such as, dock seals, dock boards, or dock levelers, may have different minimum gap requirements.  The minimum gap should be adjusted based on expected or existing loading dock products.  If you are still unsure of which dock bumper product best fits your loading dock, we encourage you to call us at 1-800-772-6675.  Our experts look forward to assisting you.

Dock Bumper Height

When selecting a loading dock bumper height, account for the lowest deck height truck received at the loading dock. A dock bumper that is too small may allow for lower trucks to get under it. As the truck is being unloaded the rise in deck height can damage or dis-attach the loading dock bumper (Fig. 5). Using dock bumpers with a greater vertical height, or stacking dock bumpers will allow for a wider height range of bumper protection and vertical slippage as the truck is being unloaded (Fig. 6). Use both vertically and horizontally configured bumpers to achieve full coverage as in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9.

Dock Bumper Length

Where a loading dock bumper’s height allows for vertical variance, a dock bumpers length allows for greater horizontal movement.  Loading docks with narrow or controlled lanes may be able to use narrower bumpers; however, wider or open docks might consider longer bumpers to ensure coverage should a truck approach off center.  Fig. 7 shows how an unaligned truck can miss a shorter dock bumper and cause damage.

Common Configurations

Single Door – (Fig. 8)

Combined use of vertical and horizontal dock bumpers.  This set up allows for a wide variety of deck heights as well as some horizontal alignment.

Open Dock – (Fig. 9)

Combined use of vertical and horizontal loading dock bumpers.  As with the Single Door application, this set up allows for multiple deck heights depending on where the truck approaches the dock.

Single Door/Open Dock – (Fig. 10)

When variable deck heights are not a concern, multiple horizontal dock bumpers can be used.  If 36˝ horizontal length units are used, maximum spacing should be 24˝ between units—5´ on centers.

Sealed Door – (Fig. 11) 

For doors with dock seals or truck shelters, a full width loading dock bumper is recommended to complete the seal on all 4 sides of the truck.