Dock Leveler Repair in Evansville, IN

For dock leveler repair in Evansville, IN, call (385) 325-7138 about a deck that won't rise or lower, a lip that won't extend onto the trailer, or a leveler that drifts or drops. This covers hydraulic, mechanical, air-powered, edge-of-dock and vertical-storing levelers at warehouses, plants and distribution docks. Tell us the facility location and which dock is down.

Call(385) 325-7138

Call to describe the problem—if the door is stuck open or the dock is down, say so first.

Independent service-request website. Calls may be shared with an independent commercial dock-and-door repair company. That provider confirms availability, scope, pricing, and service terms.

Facts checked: September 23, 2026.

Is it the leveler, the door, or the restraint?

A dock leveler is the hinged steel deck built into the dock floor. It bridges the gap between the dock and the trailer so forklifts and pallet jacks can drive across. The door above it and the restraint that holds the trailer are separate equipment. You can report all three on one call.

Equipment	What it does	Where it's covered
Dock leveler	Bridges the dock to the trailer bed	This page
Dock plate or dock board	A portable bridge set in place by hand or forklift	Dock plates and dock boards
Dock door	Opens and closes the opening	Overhead or roll-up
Trailer restraint (dock lock)	Holds the trailer at the dock	Trailer restraint repair
Seals, shelters, bumpers	Close the gap around the trailer, and protect the dock face	Dock equipment repair

For a general guide, see the national page on dock leveler repair.

Which kind of dock leveler do you have?

Most levelers are hydraulic (push-button), mechanical (pull a chain or handle), or air-powered. Some people call a leveler the "dock ramp." The name doesn't matter on the call. Just say what you do to raise it, and what happens.

Type	How to recognize it	What to mention	Names you may see (examples)
Hydraulic	A push-button raises the deck, and the lip swings out on its own	"Push-button," and what happens when you press it	Kelley, Pentalift
Mechanical (spring)	Raised by pulling a chain or handle	"Pull-chain," and whether it rises at all	Kelley, Pentalift
Air-powered	A push-button. An air bag under the deck lifts it.	"Air-powered," if you know it	Kelley, Pentalift
Edge-of-dock	A short plate on the dock face, with no pit	"Edge-of-dock"	Kelley
Vertical-storing	Stands upright against the door when not in use	"Stands up when stored"	Kelley, Pentalift

Other dock leveler makers you may see: Rite-Hite, Serco, Blue Giant, Nordock. Each name above comes from the maker's own product pages. A brand name doesn't mean a repair company is an authorized dealer for it.

What's wrong with the leveler?

Describe what you see from where you stand. The lip is the hinged front edge that rests on the trailer bed. The deck is the main plate you drive across.

What you see	What a qualified provider may check	Why it matters	How to report it
The deck won't rise	Pump or motor, controls, springs (mechanical), air bag (air-powered)	The bay is down	Which dock, and that the deck won't rise
It rises but won't stay up	Hold-open parts, springs or hydraulics	The deck can move without warning	Rises but won't stay up
The lip won't extend or won't sit on the trailer bed	Lip, lip hinge, lip mechanism	No safe bridge for a forklift	That the lip won't extend
The lip won't fold back, or the deck won't store	Lip mechanism, controls	The door may not close, and it's a trip hazard	Lip stuck out
The deck drifts down under load, or there's fluid in the pit	Hydraulic cylinders, hoses, fluid	The deck loses support under a load	Deck sinking; fluid seen
A sudden drop or a loud bang	Safety legs or fall-protection parts, the structure	A serious hazard	Sudden drop; dock closed
Cracked welds, a bent deck or a bent lip	The structure	It's a walking surface under load	Where it looks bent or cracked
It won't reach low trailers	Range for the trailers you get	Some trailers sit below dock level	Low trailers out of reach
The control box does nothing	Power, controls	Electrical fault	Controls dead

Never go under a raised leveler or into the pit. Take the dock out of use following your facility's process.

Dock down right now?

Call (385) 325-7138 and say which dock is out and whether trucks are waiting. Your call may be shared with an independent repair company, which confirms whether and when it can come. This website can't promise a response time.

While you wait, keep people and forklifts off and away from the leveler. Don't force the deck or lip, and don't keep cycling the controls. Follow your facility's process for closing the dock.

Example of what you might say: "The dock leveler at door 6 won't come up at our Evansville warehouse, and trucks are waiting." That's only an example. You don't need a script.

If the dock is down, say so first.

Call(385) 325-7138

Is a dock plate the same as a dock leveler?

No. A dock plate or dock board is a portable bridge that someone sets in place. A dock leveler is built into the dock. Federal rules call both "dockboards." The definition says dockboards include "bridge plates, dock plates, and dock levelers" (29 CFR 1910.21).

Question	Portable dock plate or dock board	Built-in dock leveler
How it's installed	Placed by hand or by forklift	Built into a pit, or mounted on the dock edge
Standard that covers it	ANSI MH30.2-2022, "Performance and Testing of Portable Dock Leveling Devices"	ANSI MH30.1-2022, "Performance and Testing Requirements for Dock Leveling Devices"
When it's damaged	Take it out of use. Don't weld, straighten or reuse it on your own.	Take the dock out of use and call.

A damaged plate or board has its own section, including repair vs replace: dock plates and dock boards.

Planned leveler service

Planned checks catch worn parts before a leveler stops a bay. The repair company that takes the work sets what's checked and how often, and you can ask about it on the same call.

A provider may look at:

hydraulic fluid and hoses;
the lip and lip hinge;
controls and push buttons;
safety legs or fall-protection parts;
the deck and its welds;
the dock bumpers in front of the leveler.

Doors have their own maintenance page: commercial garage door maintenance. Restraints do too: planned restraint checks.

What's not covered here

This page is for installed dock levelers and their controls. It doesn't cover:

concrete pits, dock faces or slabs (call a concrete contractor);
boat docks;
truck or trailer repair;
parts-only orders;
garage doors at homes.

Doors, restraints and portable plates are covered on their own pages, linked above.

If it's a dock leveler, call and describe what it's doing.

Call(385) 325-7138

What happens when you call

You describe the facility and which dock is down. Your call may be shared with an independent commercial dock-and-door repair company. That company confirms whether it can take the work, then agrees scope, timing, price and its own terms with you.

You call and describe the facility location and the observable problem.
Your call may be shared with an independent commercial dock-and-door repair company.
That provider confirms whether it can take the work and agrees scope, availability, pricing, scheduling, and its own service terms directly with your facility.

We are a service-request website, not the repair contractor. Read how Uptime works and about Uptime.

If you reach voicemail, leave the facility address, the door or dock number if known, what's wrong, and a callback number.

Call and say which dock is down.

Call(385) 325-7138

What to have ready—and what you don't need

The facility location and which dock is down are enough. These help if you already know them:

how you raise it (button, chain, or air);
what happens when you try;
whether a trailer is at the dock right now;
the brand, only if it's on paperwork or on a label you can read from a safe spot.

You don't need the model, the capacity rating or a diagnosis.

What affects the cost, and when does replacement make sense?

We can't quote your leveler repair from a web page. The price depends on the leveler type, what failed, the parts, and access to the pit. Here's what to ask before you authorize work.

Cost driver	Why it changes the price	Ask
Leveler type	Hydraulic, mechanical and air-powered levelers use different parts	"What type is it, and what failed?"
Hydraulic parts	Cylinders, pump, hoses, fluid	"Repair the cylinder, or replace it?"
Springs (mechanical)	Tension parts	"Are the springs part of this repair?"
Structural damage	Welds, deck or lip. A qualified person must do or supervise it.	"Is this a structural repair?"
Parts and lead time	Parts are often model-specific	"Are the parts in stock?"
Trip charge and after-hours work	If the provider has them	"Is there a trip charge, or a different after-hours rate?"
Return visits	Ordered parts can mean a second trip	"Is a second visit extra?"

When does replacement make sense?

The repair company will weigh a few things:

structural damage to the deck, lip or frame;
the leveler's age, and whether parts can still be found;
repeat failures;
whether the leveler's capacity still fits your loads. See dock leveler capacity.

More detail: dock leveler repair vs replace and national price research on dock leveler cost. That research covers national prices, not Evansville quotes.

The repair company sets the price. Start with a call, then ask these questions before you say yes.

Call(385) 325-7138

Evansville rules that touch dock leveler work

Indiana and Kentucky each run their own OSHA-approved safety program, IOSHA in Indiana and Kentucky OSH across the river. Both use the federal dockboard rules, and a dock leveler is a dockboard under those rules.

Capacity. Dockboards must be "capable of supporting the maximum intended load" (29 CFR 1910.26).
Run-off protection. Dockboards put into service on or after January 17, 2017 are built to keep vehicles from running off the edge, unless the employer shows there's no such hazard (1910.26(b)).
Structural repairs. "When any correction or repair involves the structural integrity of the walking-working surface, a qualified person performs or supervises the correction or repair" (29 CFR 1910.22(d)(3)).
State programs. IOSHA covers most Indiana workplaces. Kentucky OSH covers private workplaces in Kentucky.
Power. A new leveler's power supply is electrical work. It's licensed locally in Vanderburgh County (Evansville Code ch. 5.70) and by the state in Kentucky (KRS 227A.020).
New or rebuilt docks. Adding a leveler to a new or rebuilt dock can raise permit and state design-release questions. Ask before you order. See installation & replacement.

The provider and the issuing office confirm what applies to your job.

Where facilities can call from

Facilities in Vanderburgh, Warrick and Posey counties, Indiana, and in Henderson County, Kentucky can call about dock levelers. The repair company that takes the work confirms the facility address and availability. See the full Evansville service area or go back to Evansville dock & door home.

Questions before you call

Can a dock leveler be repaired, or does it need to be replaced?

Many leveler problems are repairs: hydraulic parts, lips, springs or controls. Structural damage, missing parts, or a capacity that no longer fits your loads can make replacement the better choice. The repair company decides after seeing it.

Our leveler won't stay up. Can we keep using the dock?

No. Take the dock out of use following your facility's process, and keep people off it and out from under it. Say so on the call.

Is a dock plate the same as a dock leveler?

No. A plate or board is portable, and a leveler is built into the dock. Federal rules call both "dockboards," and each has its own ANSI standard.

Does this cover pull-chain levelers as well as hydraulic ones?

Yes. Say how you raise it and what happens when you try.

Call about your Evansville dock leveler

Tell us the facility location and which dock is down.

Call(385) 325-7138

Call to describe the problem—if the door is stuck open or the dock is down, say so first.

Independent service-request website. Calls may be shared with an independent commercial dock-and-door repair company. That provider confirms availability, scope, pricing, and service terms.

Change service area

Sources

All checked September 23, 2026.

29 CFR 1910.21, definitions (eCFR)
29 CFR 1910.22, walking-working surfaces (eCFR)
29 CFR 1910.26, dockboards (eCFR)
ANSI MH30.1-2022 and ANSI MH30.2-2022
MHI Loading Dock Equipment Manufacturers (LODEM)
IOSHA and OSHA: Kentucky State Plan
Evansville Code ch. 5.70, Contractors
KRS 227A.020, Kentucky electrical licensing
Manufacturer product pages: Kelley, Pentalift, Rite-Hite, Serco, Blue Giant, Nordock