Effectively designed road layouts enable vehicles to travel quickly and safely with a minimum of manoeuvring and eliminating congestion. Efficient traffic management, including strict control over the directional flow of traffic, will also contribute greatly to safe and smooth vehicle movement and speed-up the expedition process.
Differentiated vehicle dimensions should be taken into acount when designing a loading dock. In most European countries, a truck with a trailer length of 18 metres is permitted.
The parking and manoeuvring space in front of the dock should be twice the length of the longest vehicle plus and extra two metres, for example
a 18 metre long trailer requires a space of 38 metres. Furthermore, the minimum space between the truck and the dock wall should be 1.4 metres.
Concrete, asphalt, concrete plates, paving or other stone slabs
The road itself can be made of concrete, asphalt, concrete plates, paving or other stone slabs. Whilst concrete can be costly initially, it is very durable and can endure the weight of heavy vehicles and trailers and thus can be a good investment in the long-term. Wheel guides contribute to the added protection of the distrubution centre road surfaces.
Snow & Ice
In countries with sub-zero winter conditions, snow and ice must be removed promptly from the parking and manoeuvring areas to reduce the risk of accidents. As well as maintaining a ready supply of salt, it may be advisable to consider underground heating within the bay.