How to Select the Right Wheel Chocks

Sometimes local trails just aren’t enough. If you’re looking to ride further afield, a rooftop bike rack can help you easily transport your bike without increasing your vehicle’s footprint. Roof-mounted bike racks are designed to fit snugly on your crossbars and can be installed and removed in a few simple steps.

Tire Diameter

Tires with larger diameters will require chocks that are rated for those larger surface areas. The size of the tires on your equipment or vehicle will also have an impact on the size and slope of the chock; chocks should be one fourth the diameter of your tire. So, if your truck has 40” diameter tires, the chocks you need will be roughly 10” high.

Gross Vehicle Operating Weight

The heavier your vehicle, the heavier-duty chocks you will need! The gross vehicle operating weight encompasses the vehicle’s empty weight plus the driver, passengers and cargo. An empty pickup truck will require very different shocks than a 400-ton haul truck with a load in the back. For extreme industrial use, industrial wheel chocks are designed specifically for the heavier weights of those specialized vehicles.

Parking Surface

Where the vehicle will be parked is important because different surfaces have different levels of traction. A truck parked on slick concrete might respond better to rubber chocks, whereas if it was parked on dirt then aluminum chocks with teeth might work better. The grade of the surface, aka its steepness, will have an impact in how many chocks are needed for your vehicle. For instance, flat surfaces require a different chock configuration than parking backwards on a steep slope.

Material

Rubber has traditionally been the go-to material, however the harmless off-gassing odor can sometimes be a little much. Laminated rubber is also used as a heavy-duty option, with multiple layers of rubber providing a very durable, strong chock surface. Polyurethane is touted for its high resistance to oils, fuels and solvents, and plastic is an affordable choice in regular commercial applications. Aluminum is a high-strength, lightweight choice, and might provide the dig-in power to prevent vehicles from rolling on loose surfaces.

Number of Chocks

The number of chocks you will need is going to vary based on the gross operating weight of the vehicle and the surface on which it’s parked. For example, a pickup truck parked on flat pavement may only need two chocks for the front driver’s side tire, while that same truck parked on a paved uphill slope may need four chocks, buffering the back of all four tires. Larger vehicles will also require more chocks than a regular pickup, so make sure you purchase enough chocks to suit any scenario.

Brand

Because chocks are built for the safety of your vehicle and others, we strongly recommend vetting the brand you want to buy from so that you know you’re getting quality products and a brand guarantee. Chocks from a name brand such as Checkers, or our own house brand, Guardian, are always going to be a safe, reliable choice because they’re backed by comprehensive testing, continuous innovation, as well as strict compliance regulations.