GMR Donates Wheel Restraints to Food Bank

NASHVILLE, Tenn.–GMR Safety Inc. has donated Power Chock wheel restraints to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee to help the philanthropic organization improve safety at its loading docks.

Like other distribution facilities, Second Harvest Food Bank fills trailers with pallets of food for distribution around the country. The conventional restraints it had been using held the truck by its rear impact guard (RIG).

“I wanted a restraint that didn’t depend on RIG bars, which are sometimes rusted out or torn off,” says Matthew Bourlakas, Second Harvest’s chief operating officer.

GMR Founder and President Jay Jette was impressed by Second Harvest’s well organized network and philanthropic mission and offered to donate some Power Chock wheel restraints for its docks.

The Power Chock system interconnects with the leveler, making it compulsory for the driver to set the Power Chock. Communication lights let the driver and dock personnel know when it’s safe to load and safe to pull away.

“It uses simple physics to restrain the vehicle by the wheel, and since all vehicles have wheels, it works on any kind of truck,” Jette says.

Each year, about 7,000 accidents occur at loading docks in the U.S., according to GMR. A common cause of these accidents is ‘early departure’—when a truck pulls away before a forklift operator has finished loading or unloading cargo. Almost 100 fatalities each year result from forklift accidents, according to NIOSH figures.

“The Power Chock goes along with what drivers have been taught to do, which is to set a chock when they back into the dock,” says Bourlakas. “Everyone in the warehouse appreciates that their safety is being taken seriously.

“The restraint is so simple our people can concentrate on what they do best: getting food to those who need it most,” Bourlakas adds.