Yard Ramps
In the market for a yard ramp, but wondering if you should rent or buy? Sometimes it makes more sense to rent.
Consider this example.
Summer is here in Ohio, meaning it’s time to plant the backyard garden. Of course, the soil still needs some TLC—even after a mild Ohio winter. A walk-behind tiller can make quick work of preparing the soil in advance of planting, but it’s a job that only needs to be done once per season.
So rather than invest in a tiller, why not opt to rent it from the local hardware store? It makes quick work of the task, while also saving money.
This same logic can also be applied to your business when you’re in need of a yard ramp, but only for a specified job or length of time. No matter what the situation, a yard ramp can speed up the loading and unloading process, while also saving you money in the long run.
Read on to learn about some of the scenarios where renting a yard ramp over purchasing can make more sense, as well as some of the safety benefits.
Seasonal or Short-Term Yard Ramp Rental
Oftentimes, seasonal businesses will only need a yard ramp for six months or less. Renting a yard ramp (one-month minimum) can allow your employees to not only unload faster, but also do so safely.
Or maybe you have one job that could be completed faster with a yard ramp. We had a beverage company that was moving to a new facility. Renting a yard ramp helped speed up the move-in process for that customer.
Still other companies will rent warehouse space knowing that they won’t have a need for additional yard ramps once the lease is up in a year. Rather than have to sell the ramp or put it into storage, they can simply return the ramp to us.
Focus on Employee Safety
YARD RAMP Site yard ramps, whether rented or purchased, can also improve the work environment for employees. Ramps help limit manual lifting, which can lead to injury.
Our ramps connect to trailers or docks in a one-piece system. When the ramp is connected to a trailer, the ramp moves up or down as the trailer is loaded or unloaded. Competitor ramps often have flip-down plates, which can cause pinch points for employees. These ramps also often have legs, which can make it difficult for the forklift to get in and out of the trailer.
Try Before You Buy Your Ramp
Finally, renting a yard ramp from YARD RAMP Site can also give you a chance to try out our loading dock equipment for a few months before making the decision to buy. All of our yard ramps available for rent are factory certified at our facility in Twinsburg, Ohio.
Have a seasonal project that could benefit from the rental of a yard ramp? We’re here to help. Contact us today to discuss your options.
Your loading dock needs to be efficient as well as safe. Docks can be a dangerous place, especially when forklifts are in use on uneven grades. The risk for injury increases dramatically.
Dock boards, as well as yard ramps, bridge the gap between elevations to help stabilize forklifts and keep your employees safe. With a dock board or a yard ramp, you’ll enjoy a more productive, more efficient and safer work environment.
YARD RAMP Site produces a huge array of dock boards and plates with different capacities, features and specifications. Did you know that a dock board can be a ramp as well? Even if there isn’t a height difference at the dock, dock boards are still ramps and vital to safe material handling. We offer dock boards as well as plates in both aluminum and steel, with multiple curb options.
Custom Dock Solutions
Have a unique loading dock need? Even if your warehouse design is unique, our engineering team can help with a custom solution. There’s no challenge too difficult, and no specification or circumstance too unique—we can develop the perfect solution, tailor made for your real-world application in three easy steps.
1. Initial Call – When we get your initial call, we’ll gather the details for your specific application, including any necessary measurements, such as dock height, weight of your equipment, width requirements and any restrictions.
2. Engineering Department – Our team of talented engineers reviews your specifications and a meeting with the production manager provides you with the time it will take to fabricate your custom solution.
3. Final Design and Pricing – Next, we reach out to local material providers to obtain current pricing. A design is drawn for approval, and cost determined. We send the quote to you for review.
Our engineering team has supplied a number of custom solutions, including a two-piece ramp design for a company in Macedonia, Ohio, which manufactures industrial wire and cable. YARD RAMP Site was able to design the ramp to handle the large weight capacities of trucks, plus the cable or wire being hauled. The 50-foot-long ramp also allows for trailers with low clearance to drive into their building. Find out more about this custom manufactured dock-to-ground ramp.
And our custom solutions aren’t specific to industrial or warehouse settings. We also designed and built a ramp 99 inches wide for use on a farm in Bowling Green, Ohio. This customer needed a wider-width ramp to load material onto a drop deck trailer. While our standard yard ramps are available in 70 or 84 inch widths, our engineering team was able to determine a way to provide the necessary specifications for the client. Read more about the shipping challenges we overcame for this particular yard ramp solution.
Have a unique material handling or dock ramp need? YARD RAMP Site is here to help with your custom design solution.
When you need a yard ramp for your loading dock sooner rather than later, don’t overlook the possibility of purchasing used equipment. Used ramps are in stock and available faster than a new ramp made to order, and the price is usually lower than purchasing new.
Buying used allows you to increase productivity at your facility that much faster. While concerns about reliability are valid, you can alleviate those fears by asking a few simple questions prior to making your purchase.
Has the used ramp been inspected?
At Copperloy, we use a 44-point detailed inspection checklist to certify that your used yard ramp is in excellent working condition. Some examples of things we check are structural integrity, hydraulics and overall working order. The more detailed the inspection, the better.
Is the ramp covered under any kind of warranty?
At Copperloy, we inspect and then resell only Copperloy-branded yard ramps. We’re able to offer a 6-month warranty on the hydraulic portion of the ramp, as well as a 3-year warranty on the ramp structure. If the used ramp you’re considering doesn’t offer any type of warranty, you may want to reconsider your purchase.
Are used ramps available to YARD RAMP Site distributors?
Yes! Let us know what your customer needs, and if we have a used ramp in stock that matches those specifications, we’ll certainly let you know. You fulfill your customer’s request that much faster and at a lower cost.
Recently, we had a customer that needed a ramp in a hurry. While our standard ramps are usually constructed in about 2 weeks, this particular client was on an accelerated schedule. We happened to have a used ramp in stock that fit their application. As far as timing and cost, the ramp was a perfect fit. The customer also benefitted from our detailed inspection and the peace of mind a factory-certified product provides.
In the market for a used ramp for your warehouse or industrial facility? We can help narrow down your search. Contact us today to find out more.
Most companies strive towards continually improving and fine-tuning their distribution methods. Safety and efficiency of delivery methods can have a significant impact on the overall profitability of a business. Therefore, integrating the most current and effective delivery methods, tools and practices is key to maximizing profitability. This includes everything from maximizing load capacities to ensuring that loading docks are efficient and safe throughout the entire delivery landscape.
Extra Large Yard Ramps Making Docks Safer and Faster to Maneuver
Loading docks have inherent dangers that can pose considerable risk to delivery personnel. YARD RAMP Site has made it our mission for over 60 years to engineer the safest and most efficient systems for our clientele. We understand the catastrophic effects that workplace injuries can have on employees and businesses alike. Having yard ramps that are sized appropriately to a dock’s particular space requirements and equipment specifications can reduce many risks associated with poorly fitted ramps.
Faster Delivery Equals Higher Profits
Enabling delivery personnel to move more efficiently through their delivery process by utilizing the benefits of extra large yard ramps, saves considerable and valuable time and thus increases the overall profitability of your business’ bottom line. At Copperloy, we understand the dramatic effect that increased efficiency and enhanced safety has on a company. Speeding up the delivery process through these measures can help to maximize the success of your business.
Extra Large Yard Ramp Enhanced Specifications
YARD RAMP Site yard ramps are constructed with steel serrated grating, providing increased traction and durability. This also enhances efficiency and safety in inclement weather as it allows for snow and rain to fall through, leading to less risk to your delivery personnel. Our yard ramps feature a capacity that ranges from 16,000 to 60,000 pounds, 36-feet long, and are available in widths of either 70 or 84 inches. A hydraulic pump can adjust yard ramp height, allowing for 37 to 65 inch heights. Our YARD RAMP Site yard ramps also help to prevent runoff with steel side curb features. Many ramps are ANSI compliant.
The Delivery Landscape and Planning Ahead to Increase Your Bottom Line
Often at Copperloy, we find that our customers run into delivery issues or problems because the design elements of their loading docks were not created to anticipate the future evolution of their manufacturing and production needs. Docks often have schematics that are not able to accommodate standard delivery. Insufficient approaches, small doorways, excessive slopes, gravel approaches, improper bumper projections, and docks that are too low. YARD RAMP Site can help you plan ahead so you can avoid hefty remodeling costs down the road. These include knock out panel walls and building docks to suit industry standards or anticipated changes and expansions can save your business considerable time and money.
At Copperloy, we have an in-house engineering team and manufacturing facility that is able to custom manufacture yard ramps for almost any size and capacity requirement that you may have for your business. We invite you to call us for a professional consultation to discuss your special requirements and requests. Call a YARD RAMP Site specialist today at 800-321-4968.
Recently, we were approached to build a custom ramp for use on a farm in Bowling Green, Ohio. The ramp, with a 20,000-pound capacity needed to be 99 inches wide. The customer required a ramp with greater width in order to load material onto a drop deck trailer.
With over 60 years of experience, YARD RAMP Site has become an industry leader in dock equipment and yard ramps. Our team of professionals is always up to the challenge of finding solutions to new problems. With our in-house engineering department, we can help design a custom product that will meet the needs of virtually any application. We can then turn that design into reality in our 70,000 square-foot steel fabrication facility.
The standard yard ramps built by YARD RAMP Site are 36 feet long, available in widths of either 70 or 84 inches, and capacities from 16,000 to 60,000 pounds. From time to time, however, we are asked to build a custom ramp to meet the specific needs of one of our clients.
A ramp with a width of 99 inches presented a new problem: it would not fit into a standard shipping container. We therefore had to weld a 91-inch custom extension plate to the top of the ramp, allowing access into seaport containers.
The finished custom ramp is 36 feet long with an 8-foot level off on top. The length and the level off are both standard. Although this particular client did not require it, we are also able to customize a ramp to have a 10-foot level off.
This ramp will need to be moved from farm to farm, a distance of roughly one mile. So, the customer requested the tow bar option, which will allow it to be towed at a low speed of 3 to 5 mph.
This is certainly one of the more singular custom ramps we have built to date. So, if one of our standard yard ramp, dock ramp or loading dock equipment solutions don’t quite meet your needs, the pros at YARD RAMP Site are ready to design and build a custom solution that is right for you.
Choosing the Right Yard Ramp for You
YARD RAMP Site is the industry leader for high quality yard ramps of all kinds. Whatever you need, we have you covered. But what exactly do you have in mind? What’s the correct yard ramp for your business and facility? Of course, there’s no single perfect solution, instead, you have to narrow down your choices and find the best match for your specific needs.
The first question to ask yourself is if you’re looking for a yard ramp to go from a truck bed to the ground, or from dock level to the ground. This tells you right away whether you should be looking for a mobile yard ramp or a dock to ground ramp.
Next, consider the way you’ll be using your ramp, and the specifications you need. When it comes to capacity, be sure to consider the combined weight of your forklift or other equipment, in tandem with its own maximum load.
For sizing, take the measurements of your facility and any necessary structures or other equipment utilized. There are multiple specifications to be concerned with, including the overall length of the ramp, its usable width, as well as its overall width, its functional height range, and even how much it weighs.
Also ask yourself, should you be buying new or used? Should you even be buying, or should you be renting? It all depends on the flexibility you’re looking to have, as well as your potential future needs, changes to your business, and of course, how much you’re willing to spend now.
If you have any questions about our current yard ramp lineup or if you need assistance narrowing down the selection and choosing the perfect ramp for your facility, then call the YARD RAMP Site team at 800-321-4968“>800-321-4968 today.
Set Up Your Dock to Ground Ramp
So you’ve purchased a new dock to ground ramp, congratulations! Now it’s time to make sure you put it to use correctly. YARD RAMP Site provides all of our customers with detailed installation instructions and a comprehensive user manual, however, this quick guide can be used as a resource as well.
First, of course, you’ll need to unload your ramp after shipment. Position two lifts, one on each side of the ramp, and have them engage the ramp, clearing it of the carrier and any supports. Have the carrier drive forward and clear the ramp, and the slowly lower the ramp to the ground, placing it atop wood blocks.
You will then be able to position the ramp into place. To set up your dock to ground ramp, you’ll need to first attach its safety chain brackets to the dock face. Then, keep the bumper plates as close to the dock face as possible to prevent movement, and square up the ramp in position on the dock surface. Attach the safety chains to the brackets on the dock face, with as little slack as possible to keep it secure.
It’s basically that easy, you have already successfully set up your facility’s dock to ground ramp.
If you have any questions, please call our team at 800-321-4968“>800-321-4968. and we’ll be happy to provide you with more information or with another copy of your manual.
What is 6061-T6 Aluminum And How Is It Made?
6061-T6 is used in aircrafts, electrical fittings, pistons, and bike frames to name a few. At YARD RAMP Site all our ramps use 6061-T6 aluminum.
6061-T6 aluminum is very hard and extremely versatile. No other metallic element can be used in so many ways. At our state of the art facility we manufacture the highest quality aluminum yard ramps, van ramps, twin lock and stage ramps – all with 6061-T6.
6061-T6 aluminum starts out as a clay-like soil called Bauxite. Aluminum oxide is extracted, refined, heated and filtered into a white powder. High heat hardening lowers the plasticity or flexibility and increases the yield strength, creating 6061-T6 aluminum.
What’s 6061-T6 Aluminum Made Of?
6061-T6 has a density of 2.70 g/cm³ (0.0975 lb/in³) and is remarkably pure, with aluminum making up 95.85%–98.56% total. To increase hardness and durability other elements include:
- Iron
- Copper
- Manganese
- Magnesium
- Chromium
- Zinc
- Titanium
Any Special requirements For Welding 6061-T6 Aluminum?
Yes. 6061-T6 is welded using tungsten inert gas welding (TIG) or metal inert gas welding (MIG) by our highly skilled and trained welders at Copperloy. But aluminum forms a thin coat of aluminum oxide that melts at a higher temperature, so before welding it is important to remove the oxide with heating to 350°F (176°C). 6061-T6 is much easier to weld at this high temperature and without this preheating 6061-T6 can develop weak or shallow bonds.
All our 6061-T6 aluminum yard ramps, van ramps, twin lock and stage ramp ramps are prepped with acetone, rinsed in clean water, dried, and scrubbed with stainless steel brushes before any welding is started – it’s laborious but it’s the right way to do it and makes our ramps among the best in the industry.
YARD RAMP Site Ramps vs. Imported Yard Ramps
Some imports may be cheaper but they never get the job done properly or safely. All Copperloy’s aluminum yard ramps, van ramps, twin lock and stage ramps typically use 6061-T6 aluminum and our yard ramps use a solid support side rail structure. This side structure supports the entire capacity of the load. Some cheaper imports have welded tube supports that if bent cannot handle the original load.
All Copperloy’s aluminum yard ramps have 8-foot level offs for easy access onto trucks, loading docks, and use 15-inch lips that overlap the ramp frames and rest solidly on the truck carrier bodies, dock floors, or platforms. The lip “floats” with the height of the trailer – if the trailer rises or falls, then our 6061-T6 yard ramps rise or fall accordingly.
Many imported yard ramp hinges and level offs are heavy and not integrated into the desig
We use 6061-T6 Aluminum On All Our Yard Ramps
Fiberglass ramps may seem attractive from a price perspective but in the long run the gripping surface will deteriorate over time.
Aluminum ramps however last indefinitely and they are light and easy to move – though a lighter weight, 6061-T6 aluminum yard ramps still have a rugged standard capacity of up to 25,000 lbs. Even in wet conditions you can be sure to have no traction worries due to our serrated sharktooth grating.
We use 6061-T6 aluminum because it provides a very stable, very mobile working material for our leading edge yard ramps. You can feel good because it is 100 percent recyclable, non-toxic, green and easy to clean and does not rust. Our 6061-T6 aluminum ramps will last for years – maintenance free – so you can keep working safely.
YARD RAMP Site has been designing and manufacturing aluminum ramps for more than 60 years. We are industry leaders and proud to say our products are “made in America”.
Call us at 800-321-4968“>800-321-4968 to learn more about our full lineup of ramps and other equipment.
When it comes to steel yard ramps, we insist on leading the industry, and in order to stay on top we need to use the best materials. A572-50 HSLA (High-Strength Low-Alloy Steel) steel plates make it possible for us to create ramps that provide superior strength in a surprisingly light package; two attributes that have our customers beating a path to our door.
Why Use Copperloy’s A572-50 Steel Plate Yard Ramps?
We’ve been doing this for over 60 years and we manufacture in the USA. YARD RAMP Site has an innovative in-house engineering team that can meet and exceed any project’s demands with superior customer service. Our 70,000 sq. ft. facility has the finest tools in the industry and our A572-50 ramps are constructed with solid steel side curbs to help prevent runoff, and serrated grating for high traction and durability. Snow and rain fall right through for an incredible lifespan and incredible durability.
Ideal Material for YARD RAMP Site Yard Ramps
At Copperloy, we use hot rolled structural steel A572-50 plates because they are simply the best for the job. Tolerance, concentricity, and straightness are major factors in constructing a real workhorse of a ramp and strong carbide and nitride formers produce a small and fine grain, giving the best notch toughness. Each halving of the grain diameter produces a 50% increase in tensile strength.
A572-50 steel is tailor made for our portable or mobile yard ramps, and our dock-to-ground ramps, where extra strength and reduced end product weight are paramount.
What are the Main Features of A572-50 Plate Steel?
ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) A572-50 steel is a complex blend of materials that work together to form the ultimate in strength and functionality. Some of its features when used in our ramps include:
- Blend of columbium and vanadium.
- Trace elements of manganese, phosphorus, sulfur and silicon.
- Increased corrosion resistance with the addition of copper, nickel, silicon and chromium.
- Superior resilience and durability from a manufacturing process that requires 25% – 30% more power than standard carbon steel plates.
Our A572-50 plate steel yard ramps are a little harder to form and a little heavier than aluminum but they’re the best option when you deal with heavy weights, and if moving a slightly heavier ramp isn’t a concern. The last thing you want to deal with is a ramp that can’t handle the loads you subject it to on a daily basis. Trust the strength and durability of A572-50 Steel and you will never be disappointed.
Normal hot rolled steel does not guarantee structural properties. If you upgrade the steel to A36 it guarantees the steel strength to 36k min yield. At YARD RAMP Site we have upgraded to A572-50, which has a 50k pound minimum yield thanks to its more refined alloys, which give it more strength and weld-ability. We feel this is the best by far material to construct a yard ramp.
Contact us at 800-321-4968 for more information about our steel ramps and how then can help you.