A door dolly is an engineering control that may reduce lifting and carrying.  A door dolly consists of wheels and a small platform onto which a door or other materials can be placed. The object is then be pushed or pulled around a worksite.  The door dolly can also be used to move drywall, granite, or plywood. 

There are many types of door dollies.

Saw Trax Mfg, Inc. Scoop Dolly

The Scoop Dolly (figure 1) operates like a hand truck on a dolly. Unlike standard hand trucks, the object can be moved in any direction (figure 2) making long objects easy to move. Unlike conventional door dollies or drywall carts, the carrying section pivots instead of the entire dolly. This makes the dolly ergonomically easy to use by one person. Once loaded and tilted back, the load on the Scoop Dolly remains stable without needing to be supported by the operator. The standard model can carry up to 800 pounds but is upgradable to a heavy duty model with a capacity of 1000 pounds.

Figure 1. The Scoop Dolly. (Photo courtesy of Saw Trax Mfg, Inc.)

Figure 2.  The range of the Scoop Dolly. (Photo courtesy of Saw Trax Mfg, Inc.)

Brockhage® Locksmith

The Brockhage® Locksmith Door Dolly is similar to the Williams Development Group Door Dolly.  The carrying slot can accommodate doors up to 1¾ inches wide and is padded to protect the door.

Metal Monkey

The Metal Monkey Door Dolly features two wheels and a carpeted slot to hold the door.  A handle is not necessary to transport the door around the worksite.  Each Metal Monkey Door Dolly features 0.125 5052 aluminum bodies TIG welded to 6061 axle standoffs and 8 inch thermoplastic balloon cushion wheels.

Just Toolz

The Just Toolz Door Dolly is similar to the Metal Monkey Door Dolly except there is no padding to protect the door.  This dolly weighs 12 lbs. and can carry a maximum of 675 lbs.  The Just Toolz Door Dolly can keep a door upright without leaning it against a wall.  It comes in three different models: OD1 has a slot 2 inches wide, OD2 has a slot 2-5/8 inches wide, and OD3 has a slot 3-3/4 inches wide. 

Door Kart

The Door Kart dolly is 11 lbs., features 8 inch semi-pneumatic wheels, and can accommodate up to 1 ¾ inch thick objects.  Rubber pads on the inside of the dolly protect the object from scratching.

A door dolly will increase productivity on the worksite 

Other materials (plywood, drywall, granite) can be moved using a door dolly.  Some lifting and carrying may be required to place the door onto the door dolly.

Dan Anton, PT, PhD, ATC; and Kevin Wright, SPT – Eastern Washington University

• Residential Construction
  • Install cabinets, countertops and moldings
    • Lifting and Carrying (Manual materials Handling)
  • Install doors, windows, attic access and associated hardware
    • Lifting and Carrying (Manual materials Handling)
  • Move, install and finish drywall or panels
    • Lifting and Carrying (Manual materials Handling)