- Location
- Doncaster, South Yorkshire
- Main postcode districts
- DN1 and DN2
- Nearby (straight line)
- Bentley (1 mile), Adwick le Street (4 miles) and Conisbrough (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.
What matters for inflatable dock shelters in Doncaster?
Pharmaceutical distributors around Doncaster working to tight temperature limits may want the close seal an inflatable shelter gives during every load. Fresh produce cooled at a packhouse in Doncaster stays colder during loading when the gap around the trailer is sealed by inflated cushions.
Specifying a new temperature-controlled warehouse in Doncaster is the ideal time to design inflatable shelters in with the doors and levellers, so controls are integrated from the start.
Here is what happens after you contact us about a site in Doncaster. We arrange a free survey, measure up and send a fixed written quote. If you go ahead, we manage the whole job, including ordering, delivery and coordination with your site team. Specialist installation engineers working under our management do the fitting, at times built around your loading schedule, with out-of-hours work by arrangement. Testing and handover documents close the job.
A note on the freight picture around Doncaster and beyond: iPort Doncaster, a rail-connected logistics park, sits near junction 3 of the M18. Whatever traffic your own site handles, specify the dock to suit it.
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?
- Access for deliveries, cranes or lifting equipment during installation
- Traffic routes for vehicles and separation of pedestrians
- Condition of any existing leveller pit, kerb angles and pit drainage
- Power supply at each bay, including three-phase availability
- Clear opening width and height for each door
- Escape routes and pedestrian doors close to the bay
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.
Planning, building control and safety law 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 Doncaster. 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 Doncaster
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 South Yorkshire 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.
How do you price inflatable dock shelters for a site in Doncaster?
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.
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 Doncaster, 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.
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.
Does an inflatable shelter work with containers and double-deck trailers?
Yes, provided the shelter is sized for the tallest and widest vehicles you receive. The cushions adapt to each vehicle's dimensions, which is a key reason inflatable shelters suit sites handling containers, standard trailers and double-deck units at the same bays.
Inflatable dock shelters near Doncaster
Close neighbours of Doncaster with their own pages here: Bentley (1 mile), Adwick le Street (4 miles) and Conisbrough (5 miles). Choose one to see coverage details for that town.
Other loading bay services in Doncaster
Full guide to inflatable dock shelters · Everything we do in Doncaster
Have photos of the door, leveller or shelter? Send them with your enquiry and we can give a clearer answer for your Doncaster site.