Doleco’s Level Deck Self-Leveling Decking Beam Doubles Worker Efficiency, Resists Damage, Is Quieter and Lifts Itself to Ceiling Height
Engineered by a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Doleco’s Level Deck Self-Leveling Decking Beam requires far less effort to operate than other captive beam systems and is even built to resist forklift damage.
ORLANDO, Fla. – (Trailer Technician) — Doleco USA, the nation’s fastest-growing manufacturer of lifting, sling and load-securing technologies, including the DoNova PowerLash Textile Lashing Chain, PowerLift Textile Chain Sling and LayerLok Double-Decking Systems, today unveiled the Level Deck Self-Leveling Decking Beam. Level Deck is patented and is the most efficient captive decking beam ever, doubling worker productivity while significantly reducing operational complexity and user effort. Smoother and quieter in its operation, the Level Deck system is also tough enough to resist forklift strikes and misuse. The product was presented to the industry for the first time during a press conference at the Technology Maintenance Council (TMC) 2022 Spring Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition in Orlando, Fla.
The Analysis Behind the Innovation
During his time at Con-way Freight, Steve Downing, the inventor of the Level Deck Self-Leveling Decking Beam and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, statistically demonstrated the advantages of captive decking systems over no decking, load decks and loose E-beams. However, after full adoption of captive beam systems throughout the company’s LTL operations, Downing’s continued scrutiny uncovered a number of shortcomings in captive decking technology, and like any good efficiency expert, he set out to dissect them.
“While working at Con-way Freight I developed a passion for cargo securement and had the opportunity to deeply analyze the efficiency of captive decking beam systems,” said Downing, working exclusively with Doleco. “I saw for myself what drastic improvements could be enjoyed if issues such as beam weight, ease of use, premature wear, forklift damage, operational noise, release tool misplacement and uncontrolled beam travel during shipping were addressed.”
Ingenuity Plus Determination Equals Results
Downing set out to create a new type of captive decking beam technology that would correct the numerous friction points that his data showed were having a real impact on productivity. The result of Downing’s efforts is the patented Level Deck Self-Leveling Decking Beam.
Level Deck doubles efficiency by reducing operator step count by more than half. Unlike other captive systems that require users to walk to both sides of the beam and use a system-specific tool to release and adjust it, the Level Deck can be released and adjusted by hand from one side or the other. No special tool is needed, and the beam can be released with a common dock hook, or fifth wheel puller. Once released, the Level Deck beam can be moved freely, asymmetrically and easily up and down its tracks by hand. Once one side is at the desired set height, the opposite side can be slid up or down and automatically self-levels, locking itself into horizontal position.
One of the secrets to Level Deck’s fluid operation is that each of its foot assemblies is equipped with a spring assist mechanism that essentially counterbalances the beam’s weight. As either side of the beam is pulled down, its spring is loaded, making upward movement nearly effortless –– so effortless, in fact, that if released with just the slightest upward pressure, the beam will automatically travel to its ceiling height storage position.
The Level Deck’s foot assembly is also several orders of magnitude quieter than other captive systems because the loud ratcheting sound has been eliminated. The assembly achieves its quiet, virtually wear-free operation by using direct contact rolling on Doleco’s award-winning LayerLok XP machined aluminum track, design with beveled teeth instead of holes or slots.
A Game-Changing Captive Decking System
The Level Deck’s foot assembly glides seamlessly, tooth in tooth, along the LayerLok track, eliminating the snag points common to other captive systems. The LayerLok XP track is made of proprietary, patent-pending materials that have a higher strength-to-weight ratio than competing products, allowing it to be designed with the thinnest track profiles in the world.
One of the most salient aspects of the Level Deck system is its ability to withstand all but the most severe forklift encounters. Its robust, die-cast nickel aluminum foot assembly minimizes damage from forklift strikes, and its locking mechanism is designed to prevent upward adjustments by forklifts, which are universally discouraged by all captive system manufacturers. The same locking feature prevents inadvertent beam travel, which can occur with some captive systems when loads bounce as vehicles encounter uneven terrain.
“With its spring-assisted ergonomic adjustment efficiencies, self-leveling feature, quiet operation and forklift- resistant construction, Doleco’s Level Deck is truly a game-changing captive system,” said Ralph Abato, president and managing director of Doleco USA. “This is yet another example of how Doleco is setting the pace and challenging the status quo in the North American cargo securement marketplace.”
Doleco USA products are available in the U.S., Canada and Mexico through the company’s Master Distributor network, which includes over 6,000 distribution points. For information on sales and distribution of Doleco USA products, call +1 (203) 440-1940 or email [email protected].
About Doleco USA
Incorporated in 2013, Doleco USA is the fastest-growing cargo securement, optimization and protection supplier in the United States. Doleco USA’s success has come from offering a full line of quality products through its proven distribution channel of more than 6,000 distribution points. Doleco is a subsidiary of Dolezych GMBH. Founded in 1935 in Dortmund, Germany, Dolezych is a leading manufacturer and supplier of lifting equipment, slings, ropes and load-securing technologies, including the DoNova PowerLash Textile Lashing Chain and PowerLift textile Chain Slings. Dolezych offers secure and reliable solutions for the lifting and transportation of goods – whether it’s on site in production plants, on construction sites or by transportation via road, rail, sea or air cargo. In addition to Doleco USA, Dolezych also has operations in Poland, Switzerland, China, Chile, Ukraine, Russia and Turkey, with more than 600 employees worldwide. Learn more at http://www.doleco-usa.com.
Doleco, DoNova, PowerLash and PowerLift are registered trademarks of Dolezych GMBH. Level Deck is a trademark of Steve Downing.
LayerLok is a trademark of Cargo Control Company.