Why You Should Choose Yard Ramps Over Permanent Concrete Loading Dock Ramps
Side by side images of a concrete loading dock ramp and a metal loading ramp.
If you’re considering an upgrade or add-on to your current loading dock or material handling facility, then you may be considering a permanent concrete ramp. However, there is an alternative to concrete ramps—yard ramps. Our yard ramps are superior to concrete ramps in a variety of ways. Here are the key benefits you’ll enjoy by choosing a mobile yard ramp as opposed to a concrete loading dock ramp.
Temporary Trumps Permanency
While a “permanent” solution may seem like a wise investment initially, it’s actually not advantageous. Your business is constantly changing, and so is the industry you’re working in. You need to be flexible and have room to grow, scale back, or adapt to a new standard. A flexible and mobile solution like a mobile yard ramp changes and adapts to your business’s circumstances and needs.
Get Started Quickly
Most of our yard ramps can be shipped out to your facility within days of ordering, and the day it arrives, you can begin putting it to use. Concrete, on the other hand, needs to be planned and executed, which takes substantially more time. It’ll take several weeks, or longer, for the process to be complete and the concrete to be set. There are environmental factors, too. It can be a challenge to pour concrete in the colder months, which means waiting until the warmer seasons before work can begin.
On-site Flexibility:
Whether you utilize a mobile yard ramp or a dock to the ground ramp, you’ll have far more flexibility on-site than with a permanent concrete placement. In either instance, you’ll be able to change the setup and operation of your facility to account for any unforeseen change or circumstance.
Works in all Weather:
Concrete forklift ramps are hazardous in bad weather conditions, while with the right yard ramp, you’ll be able to get things done in any climate or season. With snow, rain, and even light ice, yard ramps will still be functional thanks to their metal grating surface, which allows the precipitation to pass through. Concrete simply lets it all accumulate and will require shoveling and salting, all the while offering reduced traction.
Other Issues to Consider with Concrete Dock Ramps:
If you’re renting a site, it’s unlikely that the owner or landlord wants you to build a concrete ramp on their property. Further, if the space wasn’t designed for it, you’re going to create drainage issues by adding a concrete loading ramp. None of these are easy issues to tackle and are an additional cost to consider with concrete ramps.
Done with your yard ramp?
Whether you’ve outgrown it or you’re moving onto another project, you can sell your used yard ramp. Concrete is a cost you’ll never recoup.
Clearly, there are many great advantages to choosing a yard ramp at your loading dock as opposed to building a permanent concrete ramp. For more information on the full line of material handling equipment from Copperloy, including mobile ramps and dock to ground ramps, call the team at 800-321-4968.
