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Wheel chocks are wedges of plastic, wood, or steel that are placed against a vehicle’s wheels to prevent accidental movement. It is important to use chocks to keep your trailer stable. Wheel chocks are made of different material and come in different sizes.
The practice of keeping your trailer stable by using wheel chocks is called chocking.
It is important to chock your trailer wheels before disconnecting the trailer from the tow vehicle. That way, the tow vehicle can be driven forward safely, without accidentally providing inertia to the trailer or other cargo. Chocking before disconnecting can be the difference between a smooth removal and an unfortunate accident.
Aside from heavy duty chocks with an extremely strong grip to the floor, it is not recommended to use your wheel chocks on an incline or decline surface. Instead, try to use ground that is as level as possible.
Wheel chocks come in two primary forms. The former is more common, as a single sloping plane. The latter is less common; two chocks paired on opposite ends of one another for wheels that are in close proximity to one another. See the OneStep Wheel Chocks for more information.
Traditionally speaking, the strongest chocks are made of metal. While wood can break, plastic can be weak, and rubber can generate an unpleasant smell; metal wheel chocks are the ideal for your wheel stopping needs. Metal chocks are more expensive than plastic, but provide greater stability and durability.
Price-wise, the cheapest chocks are made of plastic, usually around the $5-10 range. The rubber wheel chocks are noticeably more pricey, usually costing over $25 for a good reliable product. For the highest quality chocks that you’ll only need to buy once, metal chocks are generally available above a $50 price range. If ever you hear the terms “Wheel Stops” or “Wheel Blocks”, know that these are alternative terms for what are known as wheel chocks.
Before deciding on which wheel chocks to buy, there are a couple of considerations to place first.
The primary consideration you should have is the tire width of your towing vehicle. You need to have wheel chocks that are an appropriate size to properly stop any unwanted movement from your wheels.
A secondary consideration is the material your chocks are made of. This is because it will determine the amount of weight your chocks can absorb, as well as the amount of traction the chocks have on the floor.
Simple plastic chocks tend to slide around easily unless they have a rubber strip along the bottom. More advanced chocks rely on scissor arms and basic physics to create pressure in order to keep the chocks in place. The Fastway OneStep Chock is one such example.
Fastway’s stabilizing wheel chocks lock your trailer wheels firmly in place, which is perfect when you have multiple people moving around inside. For the ultimate in trailer stability, they are the ideal wheel chock choice for you.
The ONESTEP is secured by simply sliding them into place and stepping down from a standing position. This allows you to avoid kneeling down or ratcheting to get the best stability.
The chocks normally rely on the arms laying flat against the ground, pressing the inclined surfaces against each tire to avoid unwanted movement. However, all you have to do is pull the attached cable upward to release the arms. So they not only set easily, but can also be reset in a zero hassle experience. Looking to learn more? Check out our OneSteep Wheel Chocks Product Page today!