Yard Ramps
Yard ramps solve one specific problem: a building with freight to move and no loading dock to move it through. A yard ramp is a portable steel or aluminum incline that lets a forklift drive a load from ground level up into a trailer or onto a raised platform, then rolls away when the job is done. This is a short, focused page. We carry Vestil at both ends of the range, a full-size mobile ramp rated from 16,000 to 30,000 lb in 30 and 36 foot lengths from about $16,955, and a compact mini ramp rated at 5,000 lb for lighter loads and lower rises. The guide below sorts out which one your forklift and your loads actually call for.
Compare Yard Ramps
| Model | Price | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vestil Aluminum Yard Ramps | $16,955 | 16,000-30,000 lb | View → |
| EKKO EKYR 22000lbs Yard Ramp | $15,998 | 22,000 lb. | View → |
| Vestil Mini Yard Ramps | $6,786 | 5,000 lb | View → |
Yard Ramps Buying Guide
A yard ramp is a loading dock you can move. Most freight moves through a fixed dock, but plenty of sites load where no dock was ever built: a leased warehouse, a new bay, a spot in the yard beside a container. A yard ramp bridges that by giving a forklift a graded surface from ground level up to trailer or platform height, and because it rolls on wheels it goes where the work is and leaves when the work is done. That mobility is the line between a ramp and the fixed dock levelers and dockboards or a dock lift that stays bolted in one place. If your dock already exists and only needs a bridge to the trailer, start on the parent loading dock equipment page instead; a yard ramp is for creating a dock where there is none.
Size the capacity to the forklift plus its load. The number that matters is not the weight of one pallet, it is the forklift and its heaviest load crossing together. A common industry guideline sizes ramp capacity at roughly three times the forklift's rated lift capacity, since a counterbalanced truck can weigh two to three times what it carries. Work the real number: a 9,000 lb forklift carrying a 4,500 lb pallet puts about 13,500 lb on the ramp, so a 16,000 lb ramp has honest margin. The Vestil aluminum yard ramp is built for exactly this duty, offered at 16,000, 20,000, 25,000, and 30,000 lb ratings. The Vestil mini yard ramp is the 5,000 lb tool for the other jobs: a walk-behind pallet jack, a small load, a low platform, not a loaded lift truck.
Length sets the grade, and the grade has a rule. A ramp's length is what tames its slope. For a given rise, a longer ramp is a gentler climb, which is why the Vestil aluminum ramps come in 30 foot and 36 foot lengths, in widths from 74 to 95 inches to clear wide equipment. Grade matters because OSHA 1910.178(n)(7) requires that on any grade steeper than 10 percent a loaded forklift be driven with the load pointed upgrade, and a ramp too short for its rise forces a steeper, slower, more dangerous climb. Measure your worst-case rise, usually the highest trailer bed you load, and buy the length that keeps the incline sane at that height.
Aluminum or steel grating. Both Vestil ramps use an open serrated grating deck, which sheds rain, snow, oil, and debris instead of trapping them and gives tires a biting surface in weather. The full-size ramp lets you choose aluminum or steel grating: aluminum keeps the ramp lighter and easier to reposition by hand or with a pallet jack, while steel grating is the tougher, longer-wearing choice for constant heavy traffic. Pick aluminum if the ramp moves often, steel if it lives in one bay and earns its keep every shift.
Frequently Asked Questions
A yard ramp gives a forklift a graded, drivable surface from ground level up to trailer bed or platform height, so you can load and unload freight at a site that has no permanent loading dock. Because it is mobile, it works in a leased space, a new bay, or out in the yard, and moves to wherever the next truck is.
Size it to the forklift plus its heaviest load crossing together, not the weight of a single pallet. A common guideline is roughly three times the forklift's rated lift capacity, since a counterbalanced truck weighs far more than what it carries. A 9,000 lb forklift with a 4,500 lb load puts about 13,500 lb on the deck, which fits the 16,000 lb Vestil aluminum ramp with margin. The 5,000 lb mini ramp is for pallet jacks and light loads, not a loaded lift truck.
Length controls the slope. For a given rise, a longer ramp climbs more gently, which is safer and easier on the forklift. The Vestil aluminum ramps come in 30 foot and 36 foot lengths. Measure your highest trailer bed or platform, then pick the length that keeps the incline manageable at that height rather than forcing a short, steep climb.
The full-size Vestil aluminum yard ramp is a mobile-dock workhorse rated from 16,000 to 30,000 lb, built in 30 and 36 foot lengths and widths up to 95 inches, for forklift traffic. The Vestil mini yard ramp is a compact 5,000 lb ramp for lighter work such as walk-behind pallet jacks, small equipment, and lower rises onto a low platform or truck bed.
Yes, when the ramp is rated for the forklift plus its load and the operator follows the grade rules. OSHA 1910.178(n)(7) requires that on any grade over 10 percent a loaded truck be driven with the load pointed upgrade, and grades should be taken slowly. The open serrated grating on both Vestil ramps sheds water, snow, and oil so tires keep traction in weather.