- Location
- Neston, Cheshire
- Main postcode districts
- CH33 and CH64
- Nearby (straight line)
- Heswall (4 miles), Flint (4 miles) and Bebington (5 miles)
- Survey and quote
- Free, with a fixed written quote
An inflatable dock shelter is a dock shelter with air-filled fabric cushions at the top and sides of the opening, kept deflated and close to the building until a trailer has reversed in. A fan then inflates the cushions so they press against the trailer roof and sides, giving a close seal that adapts to different trailer widths and heights, and deflates again before the trailer leaves.
Where does this fit at a dock in Neston?
Fresh produce cooled at a packhouse in Neston stays colder during loading when the gap around the trailer is sealed by inflated cushions. Mixed fleets arriving at a cold store in Neston, from rigids to double-deck trailers, are exactly the situation inflatable cushions are designed for.
Pharmaceutical distributors around Neston working to tight temperature limits may want the close seal an inflatable shelter gives during every load.
How does an installation in Neston work? First, a free, no-obligation survey to measure up and understand the operation. Next, a fixed written quote. Then a programme agreed with you, so the work fits around deliveries, with out-of-hours slots if needed. The installation itself is carried out by specialist engineers who answer to us, and it finishes with testing, a walk-through for your staff and a handover pack.
How much does an inflatable dock shelter cost?
An inflatable dock shelter typically costs £6,800 to £12,800 per shelter, excluding VAT, supply and fit. It costs more than a curtain shelter or foam seal because of its cushions, fan and controls, and the closer seal it gives.
Costs are driven mainly by:
- Size: door width and height, and the range of trailers to be sealed.
- Cushion layout: a top cushion only, or top and side cushions.
- Fan and controls: standalone push-button control or full integration with the door, leveller and restraint.
- Frame and covers: the steel frame and any protective outer curtains.
- Cold store features: insulated frames or heating where ice is a concern.
- Site work: wall fixings, power supply, powered access equipment and removal of an old shelter or seal.
We fix the price in the written quote after a free site survey, which also confirms whether your trailer range suits an inflatable shelter.
Inflatable shelter, curtain shelter or dock seal: which suits a cold chain dock?
For a cold chain dock that receives trailers of different sizes, an inflatable shelter usually gives the best balance of close sealing and flexibility. A dock seal can match it on a uniform fleet, while a curtain shelter is better suited to ambient bays.
- Inflatable shelter: cushions adapt to each trailer's width and height and seal close to the body, with the full opening left clear.
- Dock seal: a tight, lower-cost seal when every trailer is the same size, but it can leave gaps on other vehicles and the pads can intrude into the opening.
- Curtain shelter: flexible and robust, but leaves small gaps that matter more at chilled and frozen docks.
Inflatables also stand clear of the trailer until it has docked, avoiding the rubbing that wears foam pads and curtains. The trade-off is the fan and controls, which need power and servicing. For frozen docks we specify the shelter alongside cold store dock doors so the two work together.
The same published guide range applies across England; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
What does the free survey cover?
- Whether planning, building control or a building warrant may be needed
- Lighting inside trailers and at the dock face
- Bumper position and wear or damage on the dock face
- Yard gradient and the slope of the approach to the dock
- Control positions, isolators and any existing interlocks
- Gaps around trailers where heated or chilled air escapes
Options to discuss
Interlocked controls
Controls linked to the door, leveller and restraint so the shelter inflates before the door opens and deflates only once it has closed.
Top cushion only
A single inflatable cushion across the top of the opening, paired with fixed side pads or curtains, for docks where trailer heights vary more than widths.
Regulations and approvals in England
Workplace safety in England is regulated by HSE. For a loading bay in Neston, 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 inflatable dock shelters in Neston
Is VAT included in your guide prices for inflatable dock shelters?
No. Our customers are businesses, so guide prices exclude VAT, which is added at the standard rate. The same guide range applies in Cheshire as everywhere else: for inflatable dock shelters, it is £6,800 to £12,800 per shelter, excluding VAT. It covers supply and fit for a typical installation. Your fixed written quote after the free survey shows the net price, the VAT and exactly what is included.
Will you deal with building control and planning for a project in Neston?
We check at survey whether the work is likely to need approval. Forming a new opening or dock pit may need Building Regulations approval, a building warrant or building control approval, depending on the nation, and external structures such as loading houses can need planning permission. Where approval is needed, we explain what is involved, work with your designer or agent, and build it into the programme.
How long does installation take at a site in Neston?
It depends on the equipment, the number of bays, the condition of the dock and whether any building or electrical work is needed. We agree a programme with you after the survey, setting out which bays are out of use and when. Larger jobs are usually phased so that part of the dock stays open, and out-of-hours working can be arranged.
Is an inflatable shelter worth it at an ambient dock?
An inflatable shelter works at any dock, but at ambient bays a curtain shelter or dock seal usually gives enough sealing for less cost. Inflatables make most sense where temperature, hygiene or energy use makes the closest practical seal worth paying for.
Will we need to change the rest of the dock?
Usually not. Most inflatable shelters fit around an existing door opening, though the leveller, bumpers and door controls are reviewed so the cushions clear them and the interlocks work. Where the wall cannot carry the frame, a subframe is added. We confirm what is needed at survey.
Inflatable dock shelters near Neston
Looking beyond Neston? Our pages for Heswall (4 miles), Flint (4 miles) and Bebington (5 miles) describe the same loading bay services and how to get in touch.
Other loading bay services in Neston
Full guide to inflatable dock shelters · Everything we do in Neston
For a written price on loading bay work in Neston, request a quote and include photos of the bay if you can.