Loading Dock Supply strives to help our customers receive the best product for their situation.  When our customers request a dock seal or shelter we want to deliver a product that works well, and actually "fits" their needs. 

The first step is to visualize the door opening. 

How high is the dock opening? 

How wide is the dock opening?

What is the dock height?

What is the bumper projection?

Is there a slope to the drive?

This gives us information as to whether you need a dock shelter, or a dock seal.  The dock seal is designed to let the trailers compress the foam and provide a seal around the doorway.  If the trailers are unable to seal all sides of the dock seal, a dock shelter or header curtain may be a necessary alternative.

How high is the dock opening?
How wide is the dock opening? 
What we call a "standard" dock seal is a seal for a doorway 8'6" wide or less.  However we do offer a "special" seal called the Super Z style that accommodates doors that are 9' to 10' wide.  These seals actually wedge into the doorway making the opening smaller then it was originally.  However since the trailer needs 3 inch on each side to consistently seal, it would impede the full access to the trailer opening.  This may or may not be a problem for our customers, and it would depend on the freight that was being transferred.  For customers that find this unacceptable a dock shelter would be suggested because a dock shelter will automatically adjust to various heights and widths of trailers.

What is the dock height?
The dock height is an important factor because in this industry trailers are usually between 12 ft 6" to 13 ft high.  We need to know how much of the doorway is actually being used for the trailer.

What is the bumper projection?
How far away from the dock does the truck stop?  This is what we call dock bumper projection.  It is projecting away from a concrete structure.  We are asuming that your wall is flush with the dock.  If your bumper projection is 6", then we need to make a compression seal that is at least 10" deep.  In the next section we will determine if you need the seal deeper to acommodate a sloped drive.

Is there a slope to the drive?
For the trailer backing into a dock on flat ground things are pretty simple as far as making a seal.  However if there is any slope involved the dock seal will need to be tapered in depth to make a consistent 4" to 6" compression.  You can measure your slope by using a string and a line level.  Tie the string  to the top of the dock, walk out 50 ft., drop the remainder of the string, level the string, and measure the distance to the ground.  Provide this information when requesting your quote please.

Check for awnings, lights, conduits, gutters or any other object that may impede the attachment of the dock seal to the warehouse surface.