SOPWarehouseSOP Generator

Trailer Chocking and Spotting

Securing trailers and trucks at loading docks before entry, covering wheel chock placement, dock lock engagement and verification lights, driver key control, the red and green light protocol, and spotter signals for trailer moves.

Audience
Dock associates, yard spotters, and certified forklift operators
Review cycle
annual
Last reviewed
2026-08-14
Revision
1

What is in the procedure

8 sections. Regulatory language is fixed and passes through verbatim. Sections marked customized get rewritten around your facility, your equipment, and your job titles.

  1. 01

    Purpose

    Fixed

    This procedure establishes how trailers and highway trucks are secured before any powered industrial truck boards them.

  2. 02

    Scope

    Customized

    This procedure applies to every trailer, highway truck, and container spotted at a dock position on the property, whether live loaded, dropped, or spotted by a yard tractor, and to every employee who secures a trailer...

  3. 03

    Responsibilities

    Customized

    Dock associates verify the trailer is secured and the signal shows green before boarding, and never board on a red signal.

  4. 04

    Procedure: Securing a Trailer Before Loading

    Fixed

    1. Confirm the driver has set the tractor and trailer brakes and shut the engine off.

  5. 05

    Procedure: Red and Green Light Protocol

    Customized

    The light signal is the single shared statement of whether it is safe to move.

  6. 06

    Procedure: Spotting and Releasing a Trailer

    Fixed

    1. Before any trailer move, confirm the dock position is clear of people and equipment, the leveler is stowed, and the dock door is closed or gated.

  7. 07

    Exception Handling: Early Departure and Unsafe Trailers

    Customized

    If a trailer moves, creeps, or pulls away while anyone is inside, stop all work at that position immediately, account for every person, and report the incident the same shift.

  8. 08

    References

    Fixed

    29 CFR 1910.178 Powered industrial trucks.

OSHA references

Trailer Chocking and Spotting: 29 CFR 1910.178(k)(1)

Every SOP generated from this template cites the paragraphs below, with a plain-language summary of what each one requires. Citations are informational and are not legal advice.

StandardTitleWhat it requires
29 CFR 1910.178(k)(1)Powered industrial trucks: trucks and trailers at docksThe brakes of highway trucks must be set and wheel chocks placed under the rear wheels to prevent the trucks from rolling while they are boarded with powered industrial trucks.

Compliance checklist

What an inspector looks for

  • Truck and trailer brakes are set before a powered industrial truck boards

    29 CFR 1910.178(k)(1)

  • Wheel chocks are placed under the rear wheels, or an equivalent mechanical restraint is engaged and verified

    29 CFR 1910.178(k)(1)

  • Fixed jacks or trailer stands support a semitrailer that is not coupled to a tractor

  • Driver keys, badges, or release documents are controlled at a designated point during loading

  • Interior and exterior signals are opposed, verified by sight, and changed only by the person who secured the trailer

Waitlist

Generate this SOP for your facility

At launch you answer the facility questionnaire once and this template comes back with your equipment, your titles, and your sign-off sheet attached.

First access at launch, plus launch pricing locked for a year.

This page is informational and is not legal advice. Have a qualified safety professional review any procedure before it goes into service at your facility.