Choosing a gangway starts with your operation: the range of vehicle heights it has to serve, how far it must reach, the clearance at the bay and how many times a day it is used. Those four things decide the model, and they are what we look at first.
S&S Technical supplies GREENLINE gangways from GREEN Access & Fall Protection, the range that introduced the first self-levelling stair gangway in the 1950s. This page covers the GREENLINE model families and the options that distinguish them. If you are specifying truck or railcar access generally rather than a GREENLINE model, start with our truck and railcar access gangways page.
Why order your GREENLINE gangway through S&S Technical
Knowing you want a GREENLINE gangway is the start. Which model, what length, how it mounts and how it clears the loading arm are decided by the rack it is mounted on, and loading racks are what S&S Technical designs and builds. We check the gangway against your vehicle heights, hatch positions and loading connections before it is quoted, and if the rack is changing too, the gangway and the rack are planned as one project with one point of contact.
Which GREENLINE model fits?
- Elite Series self-levelling stairs. Adds an extended last step, larger handrails and galvanised steel back box-sections for added rigidity, built for access from a loading rack or dock to a tank vehicle or ISO container.
- Standard self-levelling stair gangways. The same self-levelling principle, for reaching the top of a vehicle more than 15 degrees above or below the platform, where a flat ramp is no longer practical.
- Flat ramp gangways. Simple and robust, and effective where the height difference is small. On steeper inclines a ramp surface becomes harder to walk, which is where the stair models earn their cost.
- Telescoping ramp gangways. Extend and retract to reach vehicles that do not spot in exactly the same position each time.
Mounting and operation
- Slide-track mounting, so the gangway traverses along the platform to meet the hatch
- Pivot mounting where the access point swings rather than slides
- Side- or top-mounted bolt-up installation for a fixed, repeatable position
- Pneumatic or hydraulic operation, typically needed on larger models, as an alternative to manual raising and lowering
- Custom widths and lengths where the standard range does not reach
Materials and finish
Gangways are built in aluminum or carbon steel as standard, with stainless steel available where the environment or the product handled demands it. Finishes include epoxy coating, hot-dip galvanising, and anodised or polyurethane paint systems, with custom paint specifications available. The right specification here is usually driven by washdown, coastal exposure or chemical contact rather than by preference.
What decides the specification
- Deck or hatch height, and how far it varies across the vehicles you handle
- Whether the vehicle spots in the same position each time
- Mounting point: platform, pedestal or structure, and its height
- Whether a safety cage or enclosure is required at the hatch
- Operating method preference, manual or pneumatic
- Material and finish requirements
Common questions
What is a self-levelling gangway?
A gangway whose treads adjust as the walkway angle changes, so each step stays close to horizontal through the travel range. It matters because an operator carrying equipment onto a tanker top should not have to judge a changing tread angle.
Can a gangway be fitted with a safety cage?
Yes. Every GREENLINE gangway can take an attached self-levelling safety cage or enclosure, typically in 2, 3 or 4-rail configurations.
What is the difference between a flat ramp and a stair gangway?
A flat ramp is a continuous inclined surface and works well over small height differences. A stair gangway gives discrete treads that stay level, which is safer once the incline steepens.
GREENLINE gangways in service
