Homemade Loading Dock

Bill VA · Mar 9, 2017

Anyone built an outdoor/freestanding loading dock to load/unload implements and/or tractors on/off a flat bed
truck or trailer?

I was thinking of building a loading dock in our barn yard with a generous ramp and flat spot at the top of
it, encased around the sides and front with old railroad ties to hold it together. Everything but the RR
ties would be dirt with a gravel surface.

Anyone made a free standing loading dock - any tips or tricks in the construction of it you could share.

Thanks,
Bill

BarnyardEngineering · Mar 9, 2017

Sounds about like what I usually see. Railroad ties, or concrete, and a dirt/gravel ramp.

Gary Mitchell · Mar 9, 2017

Pop set a couple of posts in just the right spot on an old pit silo that had washed about half full, stacked a couple of ties back of them and then dragged enough fill dirt in behind those to make the "dock" level with our 1960 ton and a half Ford farm truck bed. We loaded our 88 Oliver pulling tractor there in the late 60s and early 70s until we finally built a trailer. gm

ztrmowers · Mar 9, 2017

yes i did several years ago to load 53ft x102 wide van trailers with small bale using skidloader and grapple. later years used it to unload kinze planters from factory to assemble for local dealer. mine started as old cement livestock water tank filled it in with gravel added angle and additional foot on top with concrete. fill most all voids with broken up concrete pieces. then poured in new concrete. took just truck load to finish it off. worked out real nice just not being used now much thou.no longer do any of the earlier mentioned.

kcm.MN · Mar 9, 2017

Have used some but never built any. Sorry.

D beatty · Mar 9, 2017

We never had a dock but had several grassed banks that we backed up to for loading and unloading.

ed will · Mar 9, 2017

My neighbor has one that he dug down on one side about 2 ft and lined with big sawn timbers then raised the bulk head with timbers 2 more ft. He used the material he took out to raise the ramp on the other side He loads machinery and some cattle on it. He has a lowboy and a cattle hauler too . Ed Will Oliver BC

David Snipes · Mar 9, 2017

I built one out of RR ties and back filled with dirt and gravel. For stability I spiked some ties end on with the front cross ties. Those were buried in the fill to give the edge more stability.

jeffcat · Mar 9, 2017

One thing if you make a big crib of railroad ties get yourself some old silo. Stays. Run them side to side and it should never collapse.

donjr · Mar 9, 2017

Bill, fill in the area just behind the ties with stone. They'll last a lot longer....

Dan in North Houston · Mar 9, 2017

I've often thought that one of the concrete "Jersey" highway barriers would make a fine bulkhead for a loading dock. A short one for the front, and two long ones for the sides would be about perfect.

showcrop · Mar 9, 2017

Put a shout-out to Shetland Sheep Dog. He has put pics of his up before.

Case Nutty 1660 · Mar 9, 2017

Please look past what it has collected since I used it last. I made this one from a big power pole that got broken off by my place, I set the two pipes in 4 feet deep and concreted them in then set the poles and filled it back in with dirt, I used this one a lot back when I ran a farm repair/sales shop
cnt

caterpillar guy · Mar 9, 2017

I used a pile of dirt then put a chunk of old cement about 10 feet long and 3 feet wide layed on top of a dirt bottom fill. To fit my step deck trailer. Then banked dirt up behind it.

JD Seller · Mar 9, 2017

Around here you can get solid block of concrete that the mix plant makes out of left over concrete. They are 6 x 2x2 and weight between 3000-3300 lbs. They can be bought for $40-45. They have a female Vee on the bottom and a male one on top. They also do this on each end too. They have a lifting loop poured in the middle of the top so they are easy to lift. So they interlock. With the weight and them interlocking this makes a great wall that does not rot.

Mtractor · Mar 9, 2017

Yes I built a portable loading dock out of a 24 foot gooseneck trailer i bought off of Craigslist. It was a staight deck trailer. I cut the axles out set the back end on the ground . I then cut the gooseneck off. And now i can use the jacks to lower or raise to the height i need. I move it around with my forklift.

Case Nutty 1660 · Mar 10, 2017

yes mine will rot in another 50 years or so what was I thinking,,

Homemade Loading Dock

Bill VA

Well-known Member

BarnyardEngineering

Well-known Member

Gary Mitchell

Well-known Member

ztrmowers

Member

kcm.MN

Well-known Member

D beatty

Well-known Member

ed will

Well-known Member

David Snipes

Member

jeffcat

Well-known Member

donjr

Well-known Member

Dan in North Houston

Member

showcrop

Well-known Member

Case Nutty 1660

Well-known Member

caterpillar guy

Well-known Member

JD Seller

Well-known Member

Mtractor

Member

Case Nutty 1660

Well-known Member

Similar threads