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
Trailer Chocking and Spotting: 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.
- 01
Purpose
FixedThis procedure establishes how trailers and highway trucks are secured before any powered industrial truck boards them.
- 02
Scope
CustomizedThis 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...
- 03
Responsibilities
CustomizedDock associates verify the trailer is secured and the signal shows green before boarding, and never board on a red signal.
- 04
Procedure: Securing a Trailer Before Loading
Fixed1. Confirm the driver has set the tractor and trailer brakes and shut the engine off.
- 05
Procedure: Red and Green Light Protocol
CustomizedThe light signal is the single shared statement of whether it is safe to move.
- 06
Procedure: Spotting and Releasing a Trailer
Fixed1. 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.
- 07
Exception Handling: Early Departure and Unsafe Trailers
CustomizedIf 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.
- 08
References
Fixed29 CFR 1910.178 Powered industrial trucks.
Regulatory 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.
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.
| Standard | Title | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| 29 CFR 1910.178(k)(1) | Powered industrial trucks: trucks and railroad cars | The 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
Trailer Chocking and Spotting: 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 as the regulation requires; where this facility uses a powered dock lock instead, the restraint is engaged and verified as the equivalent means recognized by OSHA interpretive guidance
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
Templates related to Trailer Chocking and Spotting
All Dock templates- DockRev 1
Yard Truck and Trailer Movement
Yard spotter operations for moving trailers between the gate, the parking rows, and the dock...
- Regulatory references
- 6 CFR refs
- Sections
- 10 sections
- Review cadence
- annual review
- DockRev 1
Dock Daily Safety Inspection
Start-of-shift safety walk of every dock position, covering levelers and dockboards...
- Regulatory references
- 6 CFR refs
- Sections
- 8 sections
- Review cadence
- quarterly review
- DockRev 1
Dock Plate and Leveler Operations
Safe deployment, use, and stowing of dock levelers and portable dock plates, covering lip engagement verification...
- Regulatory references
- 4 CFR refs
- Sections
- 8 sections
- Review cadence
- annual review
- DockRev 1
Driver Check-In, Seal Verification, and Gate Control
Gate and driver management procedure covering the single controlled entry point for carriers...
- Regulatory references
- Best practice
- Sections
- 8 sections
- Review cadence
- semiannual review
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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.