Wheel Chock: Chock the Wheels of a Truck

Every crew should chock the wheels of a truck before anyone gets out of the cab to work. A wheel chock is cheap, simple and one of the most important safety items on a tree service truck, especially on bucket trucks, chip trucks and any vehicle parked on a grade.

Why chocks matter on a tree job

Parking brakes fail, transmissions get bumped out of park, and ground shifts under a loaded truck. A bucket truck that rolls while someone is in the bucket, or a chip truck that rolls into the chipper crew, is a catastrophic accident that a pair of chocks prevents. That is why most companies and many standards require chocks on any vehicle that is parked for work.

Wheel chocks also tell everyone on site that the truck is set up and not moving. Make placing them part of your arrival routine, along with cones, signs and setting up the work zone.

Tree trucks are often parked on residential streets with a crown, on driveways with a slope, or on soft shoulders. Each of those increases the chance of a vehicle creeping, especially once the chipper is running and the truck is vibrating.

Chocks matter for chippers too. A towed chipper parked on a slope with the truck unhooked has nothing holding it but its own jack, and a rolling chipper is as dangerous as a rolling truck.

How to chock the wheels correctly

Set the parking brake first. Then place the chocks snug against the tires on the downhill side, so gravity pushes the tire into the chock. On level ground, chock both front and back of one tire. On a slope, chock the downhill side of both rear tires, or follow your company and vehicle maker's procedures if they call for more.

For bucket trucks, chock before you set the outriggers and do not pull the chocks until the boom is stowed and the outriggers are up. On a trailer or chipper, chock the trailer wheels before unhitching. Always remove the chocks before you drive off. A lot of crews hang a tag on the steering wheel as a reminder.

Train everyone on the crew to do it, not just the driver. When chocking is a habit the whole crew owns, it does not get skipped on the rushed jobs, which are exactly the ones that go wrong.

Choosing a wheel chock

Pick a chock sized for your tire diameter and vehicle weight. Small chocks made for cars or campers will roll right over on a heavy truck. Rubber and polyurethane chocks grip well on pavement and do not split. A handle or rope makes them easy to pull out from under a truck. Bright colors help you find them and help others see them.

Keep them in a fixed spot on the truck so they are always easy to grab. See more bucket truck accessories, including outrigger pads for soft ground.

Inspect chocks now and then for cracks, chunks missing from the face and worn handles, and replace them when they no longer sit flat against the tire.

Some crews pair a chock with a small cone so the chocked wheel is easy to spot from the cab before driving away.