- Location
- Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
- Main postcode districts
- GL50 and GL52
- Nearby (straight line)
- Tewkesbury (7 miles), Gloucester (7 miles) and Stroud (12 miles)
- Survey and quote
- Free, with a fixed written quote
A high-speed dock door is a power-operated door with a flexible PVC fabric curtain that opens and closes much faster than a conventional sectional door or shutter, usually driven by a frequency-controlled motor. Many versions use a self-repairing curtain or breakaway bottom bar, so a forklift strike pushes the curtain out of its guides instead of wrecking it, and the door re-engages itself on the next cycle.
Is this right for your site in Cheltenham?
Where a goods-in area in Cheltenham borders a chilled zone, a fast fabric door helps hold the temperature line without slowing forklift movements between the two. Food producers in Cheltenham with hygiene zones can choose smooth, easily cleaned curtains and frames that suit washdown areas next to the loading dock.
A warehouse in Cheltenham running long shifts with constant forklift traffic puts a lot of cycles through a door, so the drive and its duty rating need to suit.
Your loading bay stays our responsibility from the survey to the handover. In Cheltenham, the survey and written quote are free, and the quoted price is fixed for the agreed scope. Installation is carried out by specialist engineers working under our management, at times planned with you to protect your loading schedule. Out-of-hours work is available by arrangement. We finish by testing the equipment and handing over its documentation.
Should a high-speed door replace our strip curtain or work alongside our dock door?
At very busy openings a high-speed door often replaces a strip curtain, and at external docks it usually works alongside a slower insulated door rather than replacing it.
Strip curtains are inexpensive, but they slow forklifts, scratch quickly and can hide a pedestrian on the other side. A high-speed door clears the opening fully, closes again within seconds and keeps a clear view through its vision panels. See PVC strip curtains if you are weighing up the two.
At external docks, a common arrangement is:
- an insulated sectional door on the outside for security and closing at night,
- a high-speed door just inside it for daytime traffic,
- an interlock so the high-speed door only runs when the outer door is open.
This pairing keeps the building secure out of hours while cutting the time the opening stands open during the working day.
What does a high-speed dock door cost, and why does the price vary so much?
A high-speed dock door typically costs £6,500 to £14,500 per door, excluding VAT, supply and fit. The range is wide because each door is built to order, and an internal door between two zones is a very different product from one facing an exposed yard.
The main things that move the price are:
- Size and wind exposure: large external openings need reinforced curtains, wind bars or belts and heavier side frames.
- Curtain type: single-skin fabric costs less than an insulated double-skin curtain.
- Self-repair and breakaway features: worth paying for wherever forklifts pass through.
- Activation: radar, induction loops or pull cords, and how many control points are needed.
- Interlocks: links to an outer door, a leveller or traffic lights.
- Site works: power supply, removing an old door or strip curtain, and access equipment.
Our loading bay costs guide sets these figures alongside other dock equipment. After a free site survey you receive a fixed written price.
The same published guide range applies across England; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
What do we check at the survey?
- Escape routes and pedestrian doors close to the bay
- Yard gradient and the slope of the approach to the dock
- How drivers are prevented from pulling away too early
- Headroom above the opening and which track type will suit it
- Condition of any existing leveller pit, kerb angles and pit drainage
- Temperature requirements for chilled, frozen or ambient goods
Options to discuss
Radar, loop and pull-cord activation
Radar opens the door for approaching forklifts, induction loops respond to vehicles, and pull cords let drivers trigger the door without leaving the truck.
Vision panels
Clear sections set into the curtain so drivers and pedestrians can see each other through the closed door, which matters where forklift routes cross walkways.
Regulations and approvals in England
Workplace safety in England is regulated by HSE. For a loading bay in Cheltenham, that means doors meeting regulation 18 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, equipment maintained under PUWER and suitable safeguards against vehicles driving away too early. We check what applies at survey and design the bay accordingly.
Questions about high-speed dock doors in Cheltenham
What details do you need from us to quote for high-speed dock doors?
To get started, send the site address in Cheltenham, the number of bays or openings, approximate sizes, and photos of the dock from inside and outside. Tell us what vehicles you load, what goods you handle and any temperature requirements. Drawings help on new builds. We then arrange the free survey and confirm the details before the written quote is issued.
Do you remove and dispose of the old equipment?
Yes, where it is part of the scope. When we replace doors, levellers, shelters or seals at a site in Cheltenham, removal and disposal of the old equipment can be included and is itemised in the quote, so it is clear what is covered. If anything should be kept, such as a frame or motor that is still serviceable, we agree that at survey.
Do you cover Cheltenham for high-speed dock doors?
Yes. We take on high-speed dock doors for businesses in Cheltenham and across Gloucestershire. We survey the site, provide a fixed written quote and manage the installation, with specialist installation engineers working under our management. Visits are arranged in advance at a time that suits your operation, and the same single contact stays with the job through to handover.
How often should a high-speed door be serviced?
Service frequency should follow how hard the door works, and a busy high-speed door usually needs more visits than a quiet sectional door. We agree a schedule based on cycles per day, the manufacturer's recommendations and any history of impacts. Every visit should include a check of the light curtain, photocells and bottom edge.
Is a high-speed door secure enough to be the only door at a dock?
Usually not on an external dock. Fabric curtains are designed for speed and draught control rather than security, so most sites keep an insulated sectional door or shutter on the outside for closing at night. Some rigid high-speed designs give more security, and we can discuss them where a single door is needed.
High-speed dock doors near Cheltenham
Sites close to Cheltenham get the same service, including those in Tewkesbury (7 miles), Gloucester (7 miles) and Stroud (12 miles), with every job run the same way.
Other loading bay services in Cheltenham
Full guide to high-speed dock doors · Everything we do in Cheltenham
If a loading bay in Cheltenham needs attention, call us or send photos and details online.