Trailer Restraint & Dock Lock Repair in Evansville, IN
For trailer restraint and dock lock repair in Evansville, IN, call (385) 325-7138 about a restraint that won't engage, won't let a trailer go, or shows the wrong light. This covers manual and powered restraints and their communication lights and interlocks at warehouses, plants and distribution docks. Tell us the facility location and the door number.
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.
What is a trailer restraint?
A trailer restraint is a device at the base of the dock face that holds a trailer against the dock while it's loaded. People also call it a dock lock, a vehicle restraint or a truck restraint. MHI, the trade group whose members write the standard, says these devices are meant to limit a trailer's movement and keep it from leaving early or creeping away (MHI LODEM). Creep is a trailer slowly moving away from the dock as forklifts drive on and off.
| Type | How to recognize it | What to mention |
|---|---|---|
| Hook style | A hook or bar rises from the dock face and catches the trailer's rear impact guard, the steel bar that hangs below the back of the trailer | "Hook style," and whether it rises |
| Wheel-based | An arm or chock holds one of the trailer's wheels | "Holds a wheel" |
| Powered | Runs from a control box with buttons and lights | "Push-button," and what the lights show |
| Manual | Someone sets and releases it by hand | "Manual," and what it won't do |
Names you may see: Rite-Hite, Kelley, Serco, Blue Giant, Nordock, Pentalift. Each maker's own site lists restraints. A brand name doesn't mean a repair company is an authorized dealer for it. You don't need the brand to call.
For a general guide to dock equipment, see the national page on loading dock & dock door repair.
What's wrong with the restraint?
Say what you see from inside the building, and what the lights show. A repair company that takes the work finds the cause on site.
| What you see | What a qualified provider may check | Why it matters | How to report it |
|---|---|---|---|
| It won't catch the trailer | Hook or arm, controls, sensors | The restraint isn't holding the trailer | Which door; won't engage |
| It won't let go of the trailer | Mechanism, controls, power | The trailer and driver are stuck at the dock | Won't release; trailer and driver waiting |
| The lights don't match what's happening | Light circuits, sensors, controls | Drivers and forklift operators rely on the lights | Which light, and the color |
| An alarm keeps sounding | Controls, sensors | A fault signal | Alarm won't stop |
| A trailer backed into it | Hook or arm, housing, mounting | It may not hold the next trailer | What hit it |
| A manual restraint won't lock | Mechanism | The restraint isn't holding the trailer | Manual restraint won't lock |
| The door or leveler won't run until the restraint is set | Interlock and its controls | The system is blocking the next step | What won't run, and in what order |
Is a trailer stuck at the dock?
Call (385) 325-7138 and say it first: which door, that a trailer is held, and what the lights show. 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 clear of the restraint and the back of the trailer.
- Don't force the restraint open or pry at it.
- Don't override the lights or the interlock.
- Tell the driver the restraint has a fault. Follow your facility's process for that dock.
Example of what you might say: "The trailer restraint at door 3 won't release, and the outside light is stuck on red at our Evansville warehouse." That's only an example. You don't need a script.
If a trailer is held at the dock, say so first.
Communication lights and interlocks
Most restraints have lights. MHI says restraints "commonly incorporate a communication light system between the dock worker on the inside of the building and the transport vehicle driver." An interlock links the restraint to the door or the leveler, so one can't run until the other is set.
When lights or interlocks act up, report:
- which light (inside or outside), and the color it's stuck on;
- what won't run: the door, the leveler, or the restraint;
- whether a trailer is at the door.
Don't work around a light or an interlock to keep loading. A light alone doesn't tell anyone it's safe. The provider checks the whole system.
Wheel chocks, restraints and OSHA's rule
OSHA's forklift rule names wheel chocks. It says: "The brakes of highway trucks shall be set and wheel chocks placed under the rear wheels to prevent the trucks from rolling while they are boarded with powered industrial trucks" (29 CFR 1910.178(k)(1)). In plain words: set the trailer's brakes and chock its rear wheels before forklifts drive in. The dockboard rule also calls for "measures, such as wheel chocks or sand shoes," to keep the trailer from moving while employees are on a dockboard (29 CFR 1910.26(d)).
The standard for restraints is ANSI MH30.3-2022, "Performance and Testing of Vehicle Restraining Devices" (ANSI Webstore).
How a restraint fits your facility's chock practice is a decision for your safety program. This page doesn't decide it. More detail: vehicle restraints vs wheel chocks.
Planned restraint checks
Restraints get hit and cycled with every trailer. Ask about planned checks when you call. The repair company that takes the work sets the scope and schedule with you.
A provider may look at:
- the hook or arm and its mounting;
- controls and push buttons;
- the inside and outside lights;
- interlocks with the door and leveler;
- wheel chocks and chock holders.
Levelers and doors have their own checks: planned leveler service and door maintenance.
What's not covered here
This page is for restraints mounted at a building's loading dock. It doesn't cover:
- the trailer's own rear impact guard, brakes, doors or lights (call a trailer shop);
- car lockouts or roadside help;
- boat docks;
- parts-only orders;
- concrete dock faces or pits.
Seals, shelters, bumpers, plates and levelers are covered on the dock equipment and dock leveler pages.
If it's a loading dock restraint, call and describe it.
What happens when you call
You describe the facility, the door and what the restraint is doing. 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 name the door.
What to have ready—and what you don't need
The facility location and the door number are enough. These help if you already know them:
- whether a trailer is at the door right now;
- what the inside and outside lights show;
- hook style or wheel-based, powered or manual;
- whether a trailer hit it;
- the brand, only if it's on paperwork or a label you can read from inside the building.
You don't need the model, photos or a diagnosis. Don't go out to the back of the trailer to look.
What affects the cost?
We can't quote your restraint repair from a web page. The price depends on the restraint type, what failed, the parts, and the wiring. Here's what to ask before you authorize work.
| Cost driver | Why it changes the price | Ask |
|---|---|---|
| Powered or manual | Powered units have motors, controls and sensors | "Is this a mechanical fix or an electrical one?" |
| Hook, arm or housing damage | A trailer hit can bend parts or the mounting | "Is the mounting damaged too?" |
| Lights, controls and interlocks | Wiring and control parts | "Does this need an electrician?" |
| Parts and lead time | Parts are often model-specific | "Are the parts in stock?" |
| Number of docks | Several restraints at once changes the job | "Is it priced per dock?" |
| Trip charge and after-hours work | If the provider has them | "Is there a trip charge, or a different after-hours rate?" |
| Repair or replace | Age, parts and repeat damage | "Is repair worth it on this unit?" |
The repair company sets the price. Start with a call, then ask these questions before you say yes.
Evansville rules that touch restraint 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 forklift and dockboard rules quoted above.
- State programs. IOSHA covers most Indiana workplaces. Kentucky OSH covers private workplaces in Kentucky.
- Wiring. Powered restraints and their lights run on wiring. In Evansville and Vanderburgh County, master electricians are licensed locally (Evansville Code ch. 5.70). In Kentucky, electrical contractors are licensed by the state (KRS 227A.020). Ask who does the wiring.
- Henderson. Kentucky facilities: see Henderson, KY.
Your facility's safety program decides how the rules apply at your docks. The provider and the issuing office confirm what applies to the job.
Where facilities can call from
Facilities in Vanderburgh, Warrick and Posey counties, Indiana, and in Henderson County, Kentucky can call about trailer restraints. 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 I call about a restraint that won't release a trailer?
Yes. Call, say which door, and say that a trailer is held. Keep people clear, and don't force the restraint or override its lights. The repair company confirms availability.
Does a trailer restraint replace wheel chocks?
OSHA's forklift rule names set brakes and wheel chocks under the rear wheels (29 CFR 1910.178(k)(1)). How a restraint fits your facility's practice is a decision for your safety program, and this page doesn't decide it.
Is a dock lock the same as a vehicle restraint?
Yes. Dock lock, trailer restraint, vehicle restraint and truck restraint are names for the same kind of loading-dock device.
Does this cover the trailer's bumper or brakes?
No. This covers restraints mounted at the dock. The trailer's rear impact guard, brakes and doors are trailer shop work.
Call about your Evansville trailer restraint
Tell us the facility location and the door number.
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.
Sources
All checked September 23, 2026.
- 29 CFR 1910.178, powered industrial trucks (eCFR)
- 29 CFR 1910.26, dockboards (eCFR)
- ANSI MH30.3-2022
- 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: Rite-Hite, Kelley, Serco, Blue Giant, Nordock, Pentalift