Wheel Guides: Helping You Dock with Precision

If you’re docking HGVs and other goods vehicles into loading bays, you need to understand the different types of wheel guides and how they can benefit your operation.

While wheel guides are relatively simple to use, they can have a significant impact on safety, damage prevention, and loading bay efficiency.

Here’s what you need to know:

WHAT ARE WHEEL GUIDES?

There are two main types of wheel guides:

- Cranked wheel guides

- Straight wheel guides

A cranked wheel guide has a gentle inward curve or kink, helping to “catch” wheels and guide them in at a shallower angle.

A straight wheel guide features long, straight steel tubes that are best suited to wide, straight approaches.

Both types are typically supplied with a galvanised finish to withstand tough loading bay environments - and they can be finished in high-visibility yellow paint or markings for better driver awareness.

WHY ARE THEY NEEDED?

In simple terms, wheel guides physically direct trailer wheels into the correct position, helping vehicles dock centrally to the bay.

This offers several benefits:

The chance of vehicles hitting loading bay doors, equipment, or walls is greatly reduced – lowering the risk of accidents and limiting repairs costs.

Additionally, by getting vehicles lined up faster, wheel guides improve turnaround times – increasing loading bay efficiency and reducing idle time.  

WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS?

We’ve already covered the difference between cranked and straight wheel guides – but there are other factors to consider:

Wheel guide height is crucial because it affects how well vehicles are aligned and how safely they dock.

Options include:

- Standard-height wheel guides

- Low-profile wheel guides

Standard-height wheel guides offer maximum visibility and stronger physical guidance - making them ideal for most HGVs and busy distribution centres.

Low-profile wheel guides are better for trailers with low ground clearance - helping to avoid underbody contact while still guiding vehicles accurately.

WHAT ABOUT INSTALLATION?

Another factor to consider is how the wheel guides will be installed.

For existing yards or retrofit projects, surface-mounted wheel guides are ideal.

These are bolted to the surface for fast installation and can be removed or repositioned if the yard layout changes.

Alternatively, cast-in wheel guides can be installed during yard construction or concrete pouring.

This is particularly ideal for high-traffic areas needing extra strength.

STILL NEED ADVICE ON WHEEL GUIDES?

We’ve supported businesses of all sizes with the specification and installation of wheel guides.

So if you’re looking to improve safety and efficiency at your loading bays, get in touch with a member of our experienced team.

Contact Stertil on 08707 700471, or email info@stertil.co.uk.