- Location
- Antrim, County Antrim
- Main postcode district
- BT41
- Nearby (straight line)
- Ballymena (10 miles), Newtownabbey (13 miles) and Belfast (14 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.
What should sites in Antrim consider?
Specifying a new temperature-controlled warehouse in Antrim is the ideal time to design inflatable shelters in with the doors and levellers, so controls are integrated from the start. Operators replacing foam seals in Antrim that keep wearing out against ill-fitting trailers may find an inflatable shelter suffers far less rubbing.
When a chilled dock in Antrim sees condensation and ice around the door, the seal at the trailer is often where improvement starts.
Our part of the job in Antrim is to survey, quote and manage; the fitting itself is done by specialist installation engineers working under our management. The survey and the written quote are free. Once the fixed price is accepted, we agree dates that work around your deliveries and shifts, including out-of-hours working where needed. Every installation is tested before handover, and you receive the documentation for each item fitted.
What safety rules affect inflatable dock shelters?
An inflatable shelter is powered dock equipment, so it must be suitable, maintained and correctly marked, and it should be controlled so a trailer cannot pull away with the cushions inflated around it.
- Work equipment: PUWER 1998 in Great Britain and PUWER (Northern Ireland) 1999 require it to be maintained in a safe condition and inspected where deterioration could lead to danger.
- Marking: in Great Britain powered dock equipment may carry the UKCA or the CE mark. For Northern Ireland, the CE mark or CE with UKNI applies.
- Drive-away: HSE workplace transport guidance (HSG136), followed by HSENI in Northern Ireland, calls for safeguards against drivers driving away too early, such as traffic lights, vehicle or trailer restraints, or keeping keys until it is safe. Linking deflation to these controls protects both the cushions and the driver.
- Regulator: HSE in Great Britain and HSENI in Northern Ireland.
A vehicle restraint interlocked with the shelter and door is a common way to make the whole sequence dependable.
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.
The same published guide range applies across Northern Ireland; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
Survey checklist for your dock
- Age and condition of the equipment already in place
- Asbestos register and any other site hazard information
- Whether planning, building control or a building warrant may be needed
- Wheel guide positions and yard markings for reversing vehicles
- How drivers are prevented from pulling away too early
- Scope to convert ground-level doors into docks or add lift tables
Options to discuss
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.
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.
What do the rules in Northern Ireland mean for the work?
Energy requirements for non-dwellings in Northern Ireland are set by Technical Booklet F2. For new or replacement loading bay doors in Antrim, we confirm the figure that applies to your project and check what applies at survey, rather than working to rules from elsewhere in the UK.
Questions about inflatable dock shelters in Antrim
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 County Antrim 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.
Can you work alongside our main contractor on a new build in Antrim?
Yes. For new warehouses and fit-outs, we can supply and install the dock package as part of a wider project, working to the main contractor's programme, site rules and permits. We will need drawings, dock levels and the programme, and we coordinate pit details, power supplies and door openings with the relevant trades before installation begins.
Will you deal with building control and planning for a project in Antrim?
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.
Do the cushions touch the trailer as it reverses in?
No, the cushions stay deflated and pulled back against the building while the trailer reverses in, so there is no rubbing as it docks. They inflate only once the trailer is in position and secured, which reduces wear on the fabric compared with foam seals and curtain shelters.
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.
Inflatable dock shelters near Antrim
The same survey, quote and repair service is available in towns around Antrim, such as Ballymena (10 miles), Newtownabbey (13 miles) and Belfast (14 miles).
Other loading bay services in Antrim
Full guide to inflatable dock shelters · Everything we do in Antrim
Tell us what is happening at your Antrim dock, what equipment is there and when it is used, and we will suggest the right next step.