- Location
- West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire
- Main postcode district
- NG2
- Nearby (straight line)
- Nottingham (2 miles), Arnold (5 miles) and Long Eaton (6 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 West Bridgford consider?
Fresh produce cooled at a packhouse in West Bridgford stays colder during loading when the gap around the trailer is sealed by inflated cushions. Operators replacing foam seals in West Bridgford that keep wearing out against ill-fitting trailers may find an inflatable shelter suffers far less rubbing.
When a chilled dock in West Bridgford sees condensation and ice around the door, the seal at the trailer is often where improvement starts.
We never ask you to commit before you have a fixed price. A free survey at your West Bridgford site comes first, followed by a written quote. When the order goes ahead, we plan the installation around your operation, book any out-of-hours working you need and manage the specialist installation engineers on site. The job ends with a full test, a run-through for the people who will use the equipment and a set of handover documents.
How does an inflatable shelter work with the dock door and leveller?
An inflatable shelter is the first step in the dock sequence: it seals around the trailer before the door opens and only deflates once the door has closed. Getting that order right is what makes it effective.
- The trailer reverses onto the bumpers, guided by dock lights and wheel guides.
- The trailer is secured by restraint or key control, and the outside light shows red.
- The cushions inflate around the top and sides of the trailer.
- With the trailer sealed, the door opens and the leveller is deployed.
- After loading, the leveller is stored and the door closed.
- The cushions deflate and retract, and the light turns green.
Deflated cushions must sit clear of the door and leveller, and internal straps or weights pull them back so trailers do not catch them. Interlocks make each step depend on the last, so staff cannot open the door onto an unsealed trailer.
What is involved in installing an inflatable dock shelter?
Installing an inflatable shelter involves fixing a steel frame to the building around the dock door, mounting the cushions and fan, and wiring the controls, usually over one to two days per bay.
- The wall is checked and fixing points or a subframe prepared.
- The frame is fixed from powered access equipment in the yard.
- Top and side cushions are fitted, with protective covers where specified.
- The fan unit is mounted and the control panel wired, including interlocks to the door, leveller or restraint.
- Inflation, deflation and cushion retraction are tested with a trailer in the bay.
You will need to provide a clear yard area in front of the bay, take the bay out of use and arrange a power supply near the door, or ask us to include one. At cold stores we plan the work with the dock door kept closed, so the store stays at temperature while the shelter goes up outside.
The same published guide range applies across England; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
Survey checklist for your dock
- How often each door cycles during a typical shift
- Bumper position and wear or damage on the dock face
- Whether planning, building control or a building warrant may be needed
- Condition of any existing leveller pit, kerb angles and pit drainage
- Yard gradient and the slope of the approach to the dock
- Control positions, isolators and any existing interlocks
Options to discuss
Protective outer covers
Hard-wearing covers over the cushions that shield the fabric from weather, sunlight and trailer contact, extending cushion life on exposed docks.
Three-sided inflatable
Top and side cushions that inflate around the trailer for the closest seal, the usual choice for chilled and frozen docks with mixed trailers.
Regulations and approvals in England
Powered doors and dock equipment installed in England may carry the UKCA or the CE mark, and doors are covered by the product standard BS EN 13241. We hand over the relevant documentation for each item fitted in West Bridgford. Planning and Building Regulations questions are never assumed either way: we check what applies at survey, so you know before work is booked.
Questions about inflatable dock shelters in West Bridgford
How do you price inflatable dock shelters for a site in West Bridgford?
Guide budgets for supply and fit are £6,800 to £12,800 per shelter, excluding VAT. The figure moves with size, insulation, the operator, electrics, access, any pit or groundworks and out-of-hours working. Where levellers are involved, the guide assumes an existing, sound pit. After the free survey you receive a fixed written quote, and that is the price for the agreed scope.
Can you work alongside our main contractor on a new build in West Bridgford?
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.
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 Nottinghamshire 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 a punctured cushion be repaired?
Small punctures and tears can usually be patched, and a badly damaged cushion can be replaced on its own without changing the frame or fan. Repairs are carried out on a chargeable visit, with the price agreed before anyone attends.
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.
Inflatable dock shelters near West Bridgford
Nearby places we cover, measured from West Bridgford, include Nottingham (2 miles), Arnold (5 miles) and Long Eaton (6 miles). Ask if your own town is missing.
Other loading bay services in West Bridgford
Full guide to inflatable dock shelters · Everything we do in West Bridgford
Have photos of the door, leveller or shelter? Send them with your enquiry and we can give a clearer answer for your West Bridgford site.