High-efficiency weather seals, collapsible curtain shelters, and inflatable docking enclosures engineered to safeguard internal building temperatures, protect cargo, and slash energy expenditure.
During loading and unloading operations, an open bay door acts as a massive thermal chimney. Without an effective perimeter seal, millions of cubic metres of conditioned air escape into the atmosphere every week, while wind, rain, airborne dust, and insects pour into your facility.
Working alongside your primary loading bay doors, an Arrow industrial dock shelter creates an unbroken protective seal between the exterior building envelope and the docked vehicle. Whether dealing with articulated lorries, refrigerated trailers, or local delivery vans, our systems accommodate diverse fleet heights and widths while maintaining steady internal ambient conditions.
In hygiene-critical sectors such as food manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods, our sealing solutions prevent contamination and support compliance with rigorous BRCGS and MHRA standards.
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Every distribution centre operates under distinct environmental requirements. We supply three primary sealing configurations engineered to match your operational demands.
The most popular, cost-effective choice for general dry freight distribution. Built with an articulated, collapsible galvanised steel frame that yields harmlessly when misaligned vehicles reverse into the bay, preventing costly structural facade damage.
The optimum sealing solution for cold storage, deep-freeze logistics, and pharmaceutical hubs. The lorry reverses into position with cushions deflated; high-speed blowers then inflate air cushions around the trailer sides and roof within 30 seconds to provide an airtight seal.
An exceptionally durable solution for dedicated fleets operating uniform-sized vehicles. High-density polyurethane foam pads compress up to 70% against the vehicle body as it backs into the loading bay, forming a snug barrier around the perimeter.
Energy efficiency is not merely an environmental goal; it is a critical commercial metric. In an ambient or heated warehouse, an unsealed dock opening of 3,000mm x 3,000mm running 10 vehicle turnarounds daily leaks significant thermal energy.
Ensure your dock shelter operates within an integrated loading envelope by combining it with our dock levellers and wheel alignment guides.
A dock shelter achieves maximum performance when paired seamlessly with complementary loading bay hardware. In our complete dock system designs, the shelter works in tandem with:
Inflatable dock shelters are recommended for cold storage, pharmaceutical facilities, and food logistics where tight temperature control and strict hygiene are required. While retractable curtain shelters wipe against the vehicle body, inflatable shelters inflate around the contour of the lorry to deliver a virtually airtight perimeter seal.
An unsealed loading bay can lose substantial heated or chilled air every time a door opens. By enclosing the gap between vehicle and dock opening, high-performance shelters and seals can reduce thermal loss by up to 75%, delivering rapid return on investment through reduced utility expenses.
Our retractable dock shelters are built with a collapsible pantograph steel frame. If an approaching lorry makes off-centre contact with the shelter, the frame retracts backwards against internal springs and returns forward automatically when the vehicle departs, avoiding structural frame damage.
Yes, all our dock shelters are designed with modular components. If a side curtain is torn or a bottom corner cushion is struck, our service engineers can replace individual curtain sections or fabric corner pads without requiring an entirely new shelter assembly.