Primary-source guide
Loading Dock Resources
This guide helps a facility manager identify which code edition a city lists, whom to ask about a permit, how to check Iowa contractor registration, which OSHA references touch loading-dock work, and which standard governs fire doors and other opening protectives.
It is a reading map, not an interpretation of a facility or project. Follow each official or manufacturer link, confirm that the material is current, and ask the authority or qualified provider about the actual address, equipment, and work.
Official sources and the question each answers
| Source | Question it helps answer | Scope and limitation | Status/reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Des Moines construction codesCity of Des Moines, Development Services | Which building and fire code editions the City of Des Moines currently applies to commercial work. | Commercial copy should cite only the commercial codes (IBC, IFC, IEBC). | verified · 2026-09-15 |
| West Des Moines adopted codesCity of West Des Moines, Development Services | Which code editions West Des Moines applies, and why the answer differs from Des Moines. | Do not describe the entire West Des Moines code set as 2021. | verified · 2026-09-15 |
| Iowa DIAL contractor registrationIowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) | How to check whether a contractor is registered with the State of Iowa and what that registration does and does not mean. | Do not classify every repair as registrable construction without confirming applicability. | verified · 2026-09-15 |
| Iowa OSHA State PlanU.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration | Whether Iowa OSHA, rather than federal OSHA, is the workplace safety authority for a given Iowa facility, including public-sector facilities. | Do not state that the plan covers all employers or give an exhaustive exception list. | verified · 2026-09-15 |
| OSHA 1910.26 DockboardsU.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration | What federal (and, through the State Plan, Iowa) rules say about portable dockboards and plates. | Preserve the rule's qualifications and exceptions when giving detail. | verified · 2026-09-15 |
| OSHA 1910.178 Powered industrial trucksU.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration | What OSHA's powered industrial truck rule says about securing trailers at the dock. | Do not convert (k)(3) into an unconditional jack mandate or cite the wrong subsection. | verified · 2026-09-15 |
| OSHA directive STD 01-11-007U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration | Whether a mechanical vehicle restraint may be considered in place of wheel chocks, and why the answer depends on conditions. | It is not a blanket endorsement of any restraint product. | verified · 2026-09-15 |
| Des Moines Permit and Development CenterCity of Des Moines, Development Services | Whom to ask whether a specific Des Moines door or dock project needs a permit. | Do not infer that no exemption exists or that every like-for-like repair requires a permit. | verified · 2026-09-15 |
| Iowa DIAL plan reviewIowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) | Whether a project might involve state-level review in addition to the city. | This website does not determine which project qualifies for state review. | verified · 2026-09-15 |
| NFPA 80 standard referenceNational Fire Protection Association | Which standard governs fire door inspection, testing, and maintenance (identification only). | The full current text was not available on the accessible page. Exact sections, edition-dependent qualifications, and detailed testing requirements are unverified and are not quoted on this website. | directory-only · 2026-09-15 |
| Cornell fire-door drop-testing guidanceCornell Iron Works (manufacturer) | How a rolling-door manufacturer describes the purpose and frequency of fire door drop testing. | Attribute as manufacturer guidance. It is not evidence that this website or any provider holds qualifications, and not an independent review of the locally adopted standard. | verified · 2026-09-15 |
Independent service-request website. Calls may be shared with a third-party provider. The provider confirms capability, availability, pricing, timing, and terms.
Request-planning reference
| Item | What to gather |
|---|---|
| Equipment identity | The dock position or door number, equipment category, and make or model from existing records or a safely accessible label. “Not sure” is acceptable. |
| Symptom description | What was observed, when it began, whether motion was unexpected, and what operators reported. Describe observations rather than assigning a cause. |
| Positions affected | The number and identifiers of affected positions, whether each is out of use, and whether a trailer is currently present. |
| Known documentation | Manuals, prior written findings, and relevant maintenance records. For a fire door, note available rating labels and inspection or test records. |
| Site coordination | Access restrictions, operating windows, onsite contact, and the person authorized to approve assessment or quoted work. |
Written-scope questions
Ask for direct answers before authorizing work. This website does not set prices, schedules, warranties, or contract terms.
- Does a diagnostic or service-call charge apply, and is it credited toward approved work?
- Which parts and labor are included in the written scope?
- What access, electrical, structural, finish, freight, or disposal items are excluded?
- What timing is being proposed, and what conditions could change it?
- What warranty, if any, does the provider state in writing for parts and labor?
Source guidance is not an assessment of your facility
This website does not inspect facilities, determine permit requirements, decide whether a restraint application satisfies a rule, verify a fire-door assembly, or declare that work creates compliance. The local authority and applicable workplace-safety authority interpret their requirements; a qualified provider evaluates equipment and proposes work within its accepted scope.
Keep clear of visibly damaged or unexpectedly moving equipment, stop using the affected position, and follow the facility's established safety procedures. For immediate danger to people or an active fire, contact emergency services and follow facility emergency procedures rather than relying on this guide or a service call.
Review notes
Sources reviewed September 15, 2026.
S10 identifies NFPA 80 only. Its full current text was not accessed, so no exact sections, edition-dependent qualifications, or detailed procedures are quoted here.
Annual rolling-fire-door inspection and drop testing is attributed to the cited manufacturer guidance, which describes work by trained personnel and recordkeeping. It is not presented as an independently verified quotation from NFPA 80.
Nothing on this page is legal advice or a facility-specific compliance determination. To suggest a correction, use the phone details on the contact page.
Freight statistics by state
The independent research section publishes a source-linked compilation of 2022 Commodity Flow Survey freight statistics for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, including the full state table, derived comparisons, reliability fields, methodology, and reproducible downloads.
Read Freight Statistics by State: What Every U.S. State Ships and Receives
Shipping container markings
The independent research section also publishes a source-linked decoder of container numbers, size and type codes, CSC plates, examination marks, weights, hazard markings, and a reproducible check-digit audit.
Read Shipping Container Markings: What Each Mark Means, and Who Requires It
Source index
Official and manufacturer references cited on this page. Reviewed September 15, 2026. A source marked directory-only identifies a standard whose full text was not accessible; it is not quoted here.
- S1City of Des Moines, Development Services: Construction Codesverified · 2026-09-15
- S2City of West Des Moines, Development Services: Adopted Codesverified · 2026-09-15
- S3Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL): Contractor Registrationverified · 2026-09-15
- S4U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration: Iowa State Planverified · 2026-09-15
- S5U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration: 29 CFR 1910.26 — Dockboardsverified · 2026-09-15
- S6U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration: 29 CFR 1910.178 — Powered industrial trucksverified · 2026-09-15
- S7U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration: STD 01-11-007 — Mechanical means of securing trucks and trailers at loading docksverified · 2026-09-15
- S8City of Des Moines, Development Services: Permit and Development Centerverified · 2026-09-15
- S9Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL): Plan Reviewverified · 2026-09-15
- S10National Fire Protection Association: NFPA 80: Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectivesdirectory-only · 2026-09-15
- S11Cornell Iron Works (manufacturer): Fire Door Drop Testing: What You Don't Knowverified · 2026-09-15
When the equipment category is clear, compare the available service pages. The overview also explains the site's commercial scope and the information a provider will need.
Independent service-request website. Calls may be shared with a third-party provider. The provider confirms capability, availability, pricing, timing, and terms.