Trailer Restraint, Dock Lock & Interlock Repair in San Antonio, TX
For vehicle restraint and dock lock repair in San Antonio, TX, call (385) 325-7138 about a restraint that will not grab the trailer, will not let go, or has left the bay's lights and door locked out.
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 19, 2026.
When the door won't lift and the dock lights seem wrong
On a lot of docks the restraint, the lights and the door are wired together. A control or restraint condition can prevent the door from opening, but the light alone does not identify the failed part. Report the indication you already saw and what the door did.
A vehicle restraint is a device that limits trailer movement at the dock while it is being loaded; manual and powered models exist. A dock lock is the same thing by another name; Dok-Lok is Rite-Hite’s brand. An interlock coordinates equipment in a defined sequence — the restraint, door and leveler may share controls, sensors and communication lights.
| What you have already noticed | What matters | What to report |
|---|---|---|
| Inside red or green | On Rite-Hite’s documented sequence, inside green indicates restraint engagement and inside red an unsecured trailer; use the actual model’s signs and instructions | The inside color, whether it flashes, and any message |
| Inside green and outside red | Opposite colors can be normal: dock workers and drivers need different signals | Both indications if already known — do not call opposite colors a fault by themselves |
| Both colors at once, an unfamiliar color, or an unexpected flashing pattern | The provider needs the model and displayed condition, not a guessed diagnosis | "The light isn't red or green and the door won't go up" |
| No lights at all | The panel, power and associated equipment need assessment | "The panel's dead at bay 6" |
| Signals differ from the posted instructions | The equipment needs assessment under the facility’s safety process | What each side is showing, if already known |
Rite-Hite’s sequence guidance describes model-specific operation. A signal described here is not permission to load or move a trailer.
Safety, and we mean this one. An uncertain restraint status is not a go-ahead to load or move a trailer. Do not walk out to the dock face to look at it, do not try to free it, and do not work around the interlock. There is no bypass on this page and there never will be. Keep people clear, and take the bay out of use through your facility's normal process.
What kind of restraint is at this bay?
Hook and barrier restraints engage the trailer’s rear impact guard; wheel-based models act at the wheel. If you already know the type or name from site records, mention it — do not go outside to identify it.
| What it looks like | What it is called | What it grabs |
|---|---|---|
| A hook that rises from the dock face and catches the bar under the back of the trailer | Hook-style restraint | The rear impact guard — the horizontal bar across the back of a trailer |
| A barrier that rises in front of that same bar | Barrier-style restraint | The rear impact guard |
| A device that catches or blocks the trailer wheel | Wheel-based restraint | The wheel itself |
| A wedge stored at the bay and placed by hand | Wheel chock | Nothing powered — see restraints vs wheel chocks |
Names you may already see on the control panel include Rite-Hite, Kelley, Serco, Blue Giant, Nordock, Poweramp and McGuire. Examples so you can recognize a nameplate — not a claim about your building, and not a dealer relationship.
What should you report when the restraint fails?
Say whether it will not engage, will not release, has been hit, or has stopped the bay’s normal sequence. Report any alarm or message already observed, without trying another cycle to gather details.
| What it is doing | What a qualified provider inspects | Why it matters | How to say it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will not engage on a trailer | Restraint mechanism, sensing, controls, and the trailer's rear impact guard height and condition | Some trailers simply sit outside what a given restraint can catch | "It won't grab anything on bay 6" |
| Engages but will not release | Mechanism, controls, interlock logic | A driver cannot leave, and nobody should be forcing it | "The dock lock won't release" |
| Works on some trailers and not others | Guard height and condition, restraint range, mounting height | Trailer compatibility and a restraint fault both need consideration | "It gets some trailers and not others" |
| Controls dead | Power, control panel, wiring, and whether that scope is regulated electrical work | May need a licensed electrical contractor | "Nothing happens at the panel" |
| Lights do not match the posted operating instructions | Actual model, operating state, controls and wiring | The provider needs to distinguish normal opposite signals from a fault | "The lights no longer match the signs at bay 6" |
| Alarm or horn constant | Controls, sensing, interlock | Nobody hears an alarm that never stops | "The horn won't quit at bay 4" |
| Physically damaged after an impact | Restraint body, mounting, dock face behind it | The mounting takes the load | "A trailer took the restraint off the wall" |
| Trailer pulled away with the restraint engaged | Mechanism and mounting, plus the dock face | This is the failure that damages everything at once | "A driver pulled off with the lock on" |
Restraints, chocks and what the federal rules actually say
OSHA’s powered industrial truck rule addresses highway-truck brakes and rear-wheel chocks during forklift boarding, plus positive protection against railroad-car movement during loading and while dockboards or bridge plates are in position (29 CFR 1910.178). Vehicle restraining devices are covered by ANSI MH30.3 (MHI LODEM).
Whether a particular arrangement at your dock satisfies a requirement is for you, your provider and the enforcing authority to work out. A web page cannot make that call, and this one does not try. For a fuller comparison, see vehicle restraints vs wheel chocks.
What is included, and what belongs elsewhere?
Included: vehicle restraints and dock locks, their controls, sensing, communication lights and interlocks, at commercial buildings.
Not included, and where it belongs: dock levelers → dock leveler repair · seals, shelters, bumpers and portable plates → dock equipment repair · the dock door → overhead or roll-up · the trailer itself, its brakes, landing gear and rear impact guard → a truck and trailer repair shop · parts-only → a distributor · dock face concrete → a concrete contractor.
This page is about the device at the loading dock. Trailer brakes, landing gear and rear impact guards belong with a truck and trailer repair shop.
What happens when you call?
Describe the facility and the work you need. The request may be shared with an independent company, which confirms availability, scope, pricing and service terms.
- You describe it. Facility address, bay number, what the restraint and the lights are doing.
- The request may be shared with an independent commercial dock-and-door repair company that may be able to serve the facility.
- That company confirms eligibility, scope, availability, pricing, scheduling and its own terms.
If you reach voicemail, leave the facility address, the door or dock number if known, what's wrong, and a callback number.
An example of what is enough to say: "The dock lock on bay 6 won't release at our facility in San Antonio, and I can give you the address." That is example wording, not a real job and not a script.
Useful, but not required: the bay number, what the lights showed inside and outside if already known, whether a trailer is currently held, whether anything hit the dock face, and site access. Call without any of it.
What affects the price?
We can't quote a restraint repair from a web page. The price depends on the restraint, the fault, parts, and access. Here's what to ask before you authorize work:
- Is there a service-call or diagnostic charge, and does it apply if I don't proceed?
- Is this a standard rate or an after-hours rate?
- Are parts in stock for this make, or on order?
- Is this a repair, a temporary make-safe, or a replacement unit?
- What is the warranty on the part, and on the labor?
What moves the number: restraint type and make; whether the fault is mechanical, in the sensing, or in the controls; whether the control panel and interlock wiring are involved, which can involve regulated electrical scope under Texas licensing rules; part availability; whether the bay can be released and a trailer moved; and the diagnostic and travel charge.
Repair or replace: ask whether the fault is in a replaceable component or whether impact, damaged mounting, obsolete parts or a mismatch with the site’s trailers calls for a replacement. The provider needs to assess the restraint, its controls and its mounting before recommending either.
Which local rules matter for this work?
San Antonio’s ordinary-repair provision does not cover electric-wiring changes or work affecting general safety; ask the provider and Development Services which permits the exact job requires. If the work includes regulated electrical scope, verify the electrical contractor through TDLR’s license lookup, and ask who obtains the permit.
Texas adopted the 2026 NEC effective September 1, 2026, even though some city pages still list an older edition (TDLR notice). For an address outside San Antonio, use the metro jurisdiction guide to identify the city or county office; the mailing city does not settle it.
Restraint inquiries around San Antonio
Call about restraints and dock locks at facilities in Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Wilson, Atascosa, Medina and Bandera counties. The independent provider confirms the facility address and its own availability. Full service area · Schertz · New Braunfels · Seguin · Boerne
Trailer restraint repair and interlock questions
The door won't open and the dock light is stuck. Is that the door or the restraint?
The door, restraint and controls need to be assessed together. An interlock can prevent the door opening, but a light alone does not identify the fault. Report what the light is showing along with the door problem.
Can we release the restraint manually so the driver can leave?
This page does not give a procedure for that, and it is not going to. Restraints and interlocks are safety devices. Follow your facility's established process, keep people clear, and get it looked at.
Do we still need wheel chocks if we have restraints?
OSHA's rule for powered industrial trucks states that highway truck brakes shall be set and wheel chocks placed under the rear wheels before the truck is boarded. What satisfies that at your specific dock is for you, your provider and the enforcing authority — not for us to decide.
Who repairs the restraint — the door company or the dock company?
Ask for a company that works on vehicle restraints and their control systems; a door-only scope may not cover it. Call about the bay, and the independent provider confirms whether it handles that equipment and any electrical work.
Call about the affected bay
Tell us the bay number and what the lights are showing.
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.
San Antonio loading dock and dock door repair · All San Antonio services · Phone and call details
Sources
All checked September 19, 2026.
- San Antonio Chapter 10, §10-6(g) · San Antonio Development Services · TDLR license lookup · TDLR’s 2026 NEC notice
- Rite-Hite — interlocked sequences · Rite-Hite — truck-driver light instructions
- 29 CFR 1910.178 — powered industrial trucks · 29 CFR 1910.26 — dockboards
- MHI LODEM — ANSI MH30 series · TDLR Electricians
- National loading dock repair · Vehicle restraints vs wheel chocks · How Uptime works · About Uptime