Part 2: How to Prevent Your Next Loading Dock Accident

Can unplanned trailer departure really be prevented? Mike Smith closes out a two-part series with Jeff Gowen of Robert Dietrick Company, a former service technician who now works with RDC's sales team on site surveys and solutions. Both have installed, serviced, and PM'd docks, so they talk about restraints and interlocks like people who've had their hands on them.The trailer has already rolled off the dock, and the service provider is on site. Jeff and Mike walk through what comes next: how to learn before you buy, and the four steps that keep it from happening again. You'll hear why Jeff says the right interlocks "almost make it foolproof," why the quietest trailer at the dock is the one that worries him most, and what to do when the list feels like too much.Key Takeaways:Match your restraints to your trailers. If 80% of your fleet is standard over-the-road and 20% are lift gates or box trucks, 80% of your restraints should be rotating hook and 20% wheel-based.A closed door sequence does the thinking for your people. The restraint locks before the door opens, the leveler stays out until the door is all the way up, and everything runs in reverse before the truck leaves.Jeff says OSHA requires four-foot fall protection at every dock opening, so a Dok-Guardian, Dok-Gate, or Safe-T-Lip should cover a dock even when no trailer is there.Highlights:(0:00) Meet Jeff Gowen(3:40) The service provider is on site, now what?(4:40) Site visits, the RDC showroom, and a fly-in to Milwaukee(9:17) Can loading dock accidents really be prevented?(11:15) Step one: the right restraint for the trailers you actually get(12:12) Step two: the closed door sequence that beats human error(14:34) Step three: Corner-Vu, Leveler-Vu, and Lok-Vu keep boots off the drive approach(17:46) The trailer you can't hear coming and the blue light on the leveler(21:11) Step four: the four-foot drop that sits behind every open dock door(25:50) How your dock and door provider can help when you’re overwhelmedResources:Robert Dietrick Company's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/robert-dietrick-co./Mike's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-smith-92728864/Jeff's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-gowen-072403319/ Accident assessment checklist: https://rd-co.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Loading_Dock_Accident_Investigation_Checklist_RDC_v4.pdfRestraint selection: https://rd-co.com/3-steps-for-complete-safety-at-the-loading-dock/ RDC product catalog: https://rd-co.com/product-catalog/ 

What happens when the dock leveler you were counting on isn't there anymore, and you can't stop?Mike Smith sits down with Jeff Gowen, Customer Success Manager at Robert Dietrick Company, for the first half of a two-part conversation on unplanned trailer departure, the accident where a trailer moves away from the building mid-load.Jeff started as a field technician before moving into customer success, and he talks like someone who's stood in the aftermath of these calls more than once. He walks through the scenario play by play (a driver backs up expecting a leveler that's no longer there), what to do in the first minutes after ("resist the urge to put everything back together"), and the five ways this actually happens on a dock floor, including the one he calls out on himself: silencing an alarm because it's annoying instead of stopping to ask why it's going off.Key Takeaways:Unplanned trailer departure means the trailer moves away from the building during loading or unloading, whether a driver's behind the wheel or not, and it can happen on any routine day.The only thing required at most docks is a wheel chock. A restraint on the wall doesn't mean you're covered if it doesn't match the trailer you're loading.After an accident, the first move isn't cleanup. Leave the scene as it is so you can find out how it happened instead of guessing.Highlights:(00:00) Meet Jeff Gowen(2:38) Why unplanned trailer departure sounds “dull” but still hurts people(3:09) The scenario playing out at a dock somewhere right now(6:05) The first thing to do when you find someone on the ground(8:31) Why you don't clean up the scene, even when it's tempting(11:00) What actually counts as unplanned trailer departure(13:00) Landing gear collapse, the failure most people have never heard of(16:47) Why the restraint on your wall might be the wrong one(21:52) Human error, shortcuts, and the override button nobody should hit(25:22) How a lack of interlocks lead to unplanned trailer departureResources:Robert Dietrick Company's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/robert-dietrick-co./Mike's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-smith-92728864/Jeff's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-gowen-072403319/

Why does 91% of rack damage happen in the same 16 inches, every single time?Mike Smith sits down with Kyle Gilliatt, Business Development Manager of Damotech to walk through what actually happens when a forklift meets a column, and why almost nobody handles it right. Kyle has spent nearly five years in the rack safety world, and he talks about it less like a sales pitch and more like a public service announcement. You'll walk away understanding why replacing a damaged upright is the equivalent of totaling your car over a flat tire, what OSHA is actually allowed to inspect now that wasn't true three years ago, and why the wire guides meant to stop damage sometimes get blamed for slowing drivers down.Key Takeaways:Rack is engineered to hold weight, not to survive impact. Damage below 16 inches accounts for 91% of what Damotech sees in the field.Replacing a damaged column means a 4-12 week wait on freight, a full shutdown, and an upright that's just as vulnerable as the one it replaced. A repair kit installs in about 45 minutes, without unloading product, and comes with a lifetime warranty.Since mid-2023, OSHA's national emphasis program means any site visit, for any reason, triggers a review of six categories. Material handling and racking sits at the top of that list.Highlights:(0:00) Meet Kyle Gilliatt(03:31) The one fatal flaw in every rack system, regardless of manufacturer(07:30) The wire guide story that Kyle probably shouldn't have shared(06:28) What actually happens in a negative-20-degree freezer aisle(09:13) Why 91% of damage lands in the same 16 inches(09:36) The potato company with rack damage six feet off the ground(11:27) What OSHA can now inspect that it couldn't before 2023(20:25) Three ways facilities react to damage, and why two of them are wrong(22:45) Replacing a column versus fixing six inches of it(30:17) Inside the Damo Shield and the Damo Guard XPSResources:Damage Before/After Video: https://www.damotech.com/damotech-impact-videoRepair vs Replace Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KChBwYz8EeYRepair Versus Replace (RDC article): https://rd-co.com/repair-vs-replace-a-comparison-of-rack-damage-solutions/Rack Damage Assessment Guide: https://www.damotech.com/rack-damage-assessment-guide-lpRack Repair Guide: https://www.damotech.com/rack-repair-vs.-replacement-guide-lpRobert Dietrick Company's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/robert-dietrick-co./Mike's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-smith-92728864/

Is the tool you're avoiding actually the one solving your biggest headaches?Host Mike Smith sits down with Annah Van Gheem, Digital Product Manager at Robert Dietrick Company, the architect behind RDC Digital, the company's customer portal.Annah calls herself a people person first and a technologist second, and that shows in how she talks about the portal. You'll walk away knowing what actually makes a customer portal worth using, how RDC Digital keeps facility knowledge from walking out the door when your most experienced employee retires, and how to handle real situations, like a leveler going down at 5:15 a.m., without picking up the phone.Key Takeaways:A service request in RDC Digital can be created in under three minutes, and it routes faster than a phone call or email.Every piece of equipment like the door, the leveler, the restraint, gets logged as its own asset, so full repair and cost history is one search away.Feedback lives at the work order level, not in a general survey pile. Specific, not vague, is the goal.Highlights:(00:00) Meet Annah Van Gheem(01:42) The unspoken stigma around customer portals(04:18) The appointment Annah books before coffee(05:09) The portal Mike swore he'd hate(07:23) What RDC Digital is really solving(10:12) The Robin Hood mentality behind the data(13:21) What happens when 30 years of know-how retires(14:54) A leveler's down at 5:15 a.m., now what(19:21) Turning "what broke" into "what's next"(28:40) What's next for RDC DigitalResources:Robert Dietrick Company’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/robert-dietrick-co./ Mike’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-smith-92728864/  Robert Dietrick Company’s Official Website: https://rd-co.com/RDC Digital Page: https://rd-co.com/rdc-digital-services/ Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: shareyourgenius.com

Is your facility ignoring its fire doors, and do you even know the compliance risk you are running?In this episode of Clocking In, host Mike Smith sits down with Scott Smith, Territory Representative at Robert Dietrick Company, who brings over a decade of experience as a service technician and service manager.Scott shares hard-earned lessons from surviving a house fire as a teenager to managing heavy industrial equipment. You will walk away knowing why fire doors fail drop tests, how improper installation voids insurance claims, and what steps keep your building compliant.Key Takeaways:Annual drop testing is mandatory under NFPA 80, and technician certification has been required since 2022.Automatic activation closes fire doors faster than manual fusible links, cutting off toxic smoke instantlyProper digital record-keeping protects your facility if insurance adjusters or fire marshals audit a claim.Highlights:(00:00) Meet Scott Smith(01:36) Standard service doors vs life-saving fire doors (05:58) Why fire doors should self-close(09:12) What MFL walls are and why insurance carriers require them (13:26) How extreme fire and cold hose tests force door failure (17:20) The funny thing about installers and drop testers (25:40) What proper inspections look like (29:21) Spotting pencil-whipped reports and fake maintenance checks (33:35) How digital asset tagging keeps compliance records safe forever (35:21) Practical steps to verify your facility's fire door status todayResources:RDC Drop Test Form: https://rd-co.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Drop-Test-Form-2024-1.pdfWhen a Fire Door Is Needed, Failure Isn’t an Option https://rd-co.com/when-a-fire-door-is-needed-failure-isnt-an-option/Robert Dietrick Company’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/robert-dietrick-co./ Mike’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-smith-92728864/ 

Is your loading dock quietly wasting 20 to 30 percent of your heating and cooling budget?In this episode of Clocking In, host Mike Smith sits down with Cullen Luning, Director of Strategic Accounts, and Sami Aslam, Product Manager for Air Movement, both of Schwank North America.Cullen and Sami have spent their careers on opposite ends of the same problem, one selling and engineering solutions, the other studying the science behind them, and both have watched facilities lose money at the dock door without ever knowing it.You'll walk away from this episode knowing exactly how much conditioned air an open dock door costs you, why dock seals alone were never designed to stop it, and what steps to take this week to find out where your own facility stands.Key Takeaways:An open dock door can lose 60 to 70% of your conditioned air, translating to 20 to 30% higher heating and cooling costs.Dock seals and air curtains solve two different problems. Seals block the outside, air curtains seal the inside, and you need both.Only 8 to 10% of dock doors across North America have air curtains installed, despite how fast the payback can be.Highlights:(00:00) Meet Cullen Luning and Sami Aslam(01:51) Where facilities actually lose the most energy(03:26) You don't have an HVAC problem, you have an open door problem(05:05) What an air curtain really is, and why it's not "secondary" equipment(06:00) The science of the invisible air blade(11:25) Why dock seals wear out and air curtains don't(14:19) Only 8 to 10% of dock doors have one installed(21:05) The real dollar cost of an open dock door(25:44) The utility rebates most facilities don't know exist(30:00) Busting the myth: does running the unit cost more than it savesResources:Robert Dietrick Company’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/robert-dietrick-co./ Mike’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-smith-92728864/  AMCA Ratingshttps://www.amca.org/certified-listed/products.html?c=10935#schwank-ltd 

Is your loading dock quietly draining your budget? And would you even know it until something breaks?In this episode of Clocking In, host Mike Smith sits down with Bob Glover, Account Representative at Robert Dietrick Company, to talk about why preventative maintenance belongs at the center of every facility's operations, not on the back burner until equipment fails.Bob spent years helping facilities catch small issues before they turn into costly downtime, safety incidents, or warranty headaches. You'll walk away knowing what a real five-step PM process looks like, why deferred maintenance almost always costs more than it saves, and what to ask a service provider before you hand them your docks.Key Takeaways:Companies running a solid PM program save 12 to 18% annually on service costs compared to those that don't.Safety, warranty coverage, and insurance liability all trace back to one thing: your maintenance records.A five-step process — clean, inspect, lubricate, adjust, test — catches problems while they're still cheap to fix.Highlights:(00:00) Meet Bob Glover(01:14) Why PM sits at the center of every customer relationship(02:49) What preventative maintenance is(04:33) The equipment nobody thinks about until the dock goes down(04:47) The Interstellar docking scene that explains the whole industry(08:35) The five-step process most PM programs skip half of(10:20) Why "clean" is the step technicians take most seriously(13:36) "Pay me now or pay me later": The adjustment step, explained(16:51) The confession about "drive-by PM" at a former employer(19:19) The first question asked after every workplace injury(23:23) The number: 12 to 18% saved annually with a real PM plan(25:54) The Monday morning question every facility leader should be askingResources:Robert Dietrick Company’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/robert-dietrick-co./ Mike’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-smith-92728864/  

Is your safety program really working, or are you just too close to it to tell?In this episode of Clocking In, host Mike Smith sits down with Ryan Werner, Industrial Safety Consultant at Robert Dietrick Company, who came to the field the hard way. Two 100-pound steel pipes fell on him during an unloading job in his early 20s. After back surgeries and a career reset, he spent years managing health, safety, and environment inside the kinds of facilities he now audits. He knows what it looks like from both sides of the clipboard.This episode makes the case for outside safety consultations, not as a red flag, but as standard operating procedure. You'll come away understanding why safety and productivity are not in competition, what an outside audit actually involves, and why the facilities that do this well treat it the same way they treat preventative maintenance on equipment.Key Takeaways:Slowing forklifts down to reduce accidents forced one facility to innovate. They ended up faster and safer.Your safety team is reactive by design. Injuries, near misses, contractor questions, they all jump the queue. Floor walks get pushed. An outside consultant shows up with no queue.Fresh eyes catch what familiarity hides. If you've walked past something every day for two years, you've stopped seeing it.If an outside consultation prevents one injury, it is no longer a safety expense. It is a business decision.Highlights:(00:00) Meet Ryan Werner(00:33) Why you should consider an outside safety consultation or audit(01:42) The misconception that safety and productivity trade off against each other(03:13) The knife sharpening machine and the finger that almost wasn't(04:10) What race cars have to do with running a safer facility(05:09) How slowing down forklifts made one facility faster(07:00) The accident that sent Ryan Werner to college and into safety(09:20) What keeps HSE managers off the floor even when they want to be there(10:14) Whether it feels threatening when an outsider audits your program(14:00) The four pillars of an RDC safety consultation(15:21) Why you get a digital platform, not a spreadsheet(17:13) The fresh eyes argument, and why walking the same floor every day works against you(19:16) Preventative maintenance for equipment versus preventative maintenance for safety culture(21:34) The Monday morning calendar test for knowing if you need outside helpResources:Robert Dietrick Company’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/robert-dietrick-co./ Mike’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-smith-92728864/  

What does it actually take to run a food bank that ships meals to all 50 states out of a building that hasn't changed much since it was built?In this episode of Clocking In, host Mike Smith sits down with Jason Meyer, Facilities Manager at Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, the largest food bank in the state. Jason didn't come up through facility management. He started as a truck driver, moved into maintenance because he knew how to troubleshoot, and eventually took over a 332,000-square-foot operation running 100 trucks a day, 36 sit-down lifts, hundreds of weekly volunteers, and a drive-through food pantry where neighbors pull cars into a live warehouse. He figured most of it out the hard way.This episode covers what changes when you stop reacting and start planning, why the instinct to do everything yourself is a trap, and what facility leaders who are five years into the job still get wrong.Key Takeaways:Stop reacting, start planning. Reactive leadership keeps you busy but never ahead. Small proactive decisions, like buying the right equipment the first time, compound into big wins over time.Relationships are an asset. Taking genuine interest in vendors, technicians, and peers pays off in ways you can not predict. The knowledge you gain from those conversations is irreplaceable.You can not do it all. Focus on what only you can do and trust others with the rest. Recognizing your limitations is not a weakness. It is how you lead better.Highlights:(00:00) Meet Jason Meyer (01:17) What it actually feels like to step into facility leadership for the first time (02:49) Running the largest food bank in Indiana out of a 332,000 square foot building (04:05) How Jason went from driving a truck to running the whole facility (08:20) What Gleaners thought was efficient and what they know now(09:30) Why walking through the warehouse used to be a kamikaze mission(11:27) The fluorescent lights that started a $44,000 conversation (13:01) The comparison trap that was draining Jason’s energy without him realizing it (15:11) The safety problem that never happens until it does (19:38) The risk Jason wishes he took years earlier (21:32) Why facility layout decisions made in a conference room keep haunting the floor (29:47) The preventative maintenance pitch he didn't buy and what he learned from it (31:33) How to know which vendors are actually partners (33:25) What it takes to get younger workers interested in the trades (35:26) The method Jason uses to pass knowledge down without it staying stuck in his head (36:32) The most practical advice for anyone stepping into a facility leadership role todayResources:Robert Dietrick Company’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/robert-dietrick-co./ 

Is your loading dock the biggest liability in your facility  and do you even know it?In this episode of Clocking In, host Mike Smith sits down with Pat Feeney, Territory Sales Representative at Robert Dietrick Company, who brings 21 years of hands-on experience as a service technician, installer, service manager, and quality assurance manager.Pat has seen the full life cycle of loading dock equipment, from installation to failure, and now helps facilities avoid the mistakes he watched play out for two decades. You'll walk away from this episode knowing exactly what equipment mistakes are costing facilities the most, why high turnover has changed the nature of errors at the loading dock, and what practical steps you can take to find out where your operation stands.Key Takeaways:- Moving into a leased space means inheriting equipment that may be dangerously undersized for your operation. Know what you're getting before you sign.- Skipping PM doesn't save money; it multiplies costs. Equipment with proper PM lasts 10–20 years. Without it, about five.- Interlocks force every operator through the correct sequence, whether they were trained on it or not. They're the best tool for handling high turnover.- Forklift and pedestrian separation, fall protection, and knowing what to do when the dock lock fails are all solvable problems. Most facilities just haven't solved them yet.Highlights:(0:00) 25% of facility accidents happen here, and most leaders underinvest in it(1:06) What 21 years at the loading dock actually teaches you(2:35) How turnover changed the nature of dock mistakes(4:25) The two things facilities are most embarrassed to admit(5:22) Mike and Pat share their most embarrassing on-the-job mistakes(8:14) Why the dock is one of the biggest liabilities in your building(10:00) Mistake #1: Underrated equipment and the leased-building trap(13:02) Mistake #2: The PM math that always catches up(14:46) Mistake #3: Wrong restraint for the wrong trailer(16:38) Mistake #4: No interlocks, and how they people-proof your dock(21:14) Mistake #5: Going cheap and what it really costs you(22:52) Mistake #6: Open dock doors without fall protection(25:20) Mistake #7: Forklift and pedestrian separation in legacy buildings(29:58) Mistake #8: What to do when the dock lock fails(32:40) Mistake #9: Production too close to the docks(34:51) Mistake #10: Non-standardized equipment and the chaos it creates(36:30) Two things you can do immediately to assess your loading dockResources:Robert Dietrick Company’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/robert-dietrick-co./ Mike’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-smith-92728864/