Autumn is here, one of the nicest times to live in Michigan. The leaves are beginning to turn yellow as the daily high temperatures begin to drop. In the short term, all of this is great. In the long term, it means winter is coming. That’s a much more challenging time for your company’s workers who will have to brave the weather and the elements at your loading dock. That’s why this time of year we always promote dock seals and shelters – so you can shelter your loading dock and keep people and products safe and in good shape.
What Is a Dock Shelter?
A dock shelter is a structure that provides shelter over the dock door. It covers the space between the building and the truck trailer like an umbrella, protecting workers and shipped product from rain, sleet, and snow that falls while the trailer is being loaded or unloaded. At Beuschel Sales we offer a variety of Kelley shelters. They give full access to the back of the trailer and still accommodate trailers with lift gates or steps.
Types of Kelley Dock Shelters
Kelley manufactures dock shelters in rigid frame, impact resistant and foam sided designs.
Kelley FlexFrame® Dock Shelters work with a wide variety of trailer sizes and types. Their gravity-biased, flexible frame yields to trailers that are steered into the door accidentally, preventing costly building and shelter damage. If off-center trailer contact occurs when the trailer is backing up, the FlexFrame moves upward and back to prevent damage to the wall and shelter. Its gravity-biased design returns the frame to its original position when the trailer pulls away.
Kelley Foamside® Dock Shelters combine the flexibility of a seal and the full trailer access of a shelter. This type of shelter effectively keeps the outside elements out of the warehouse and provides energy savings and added comfort for loading dock workers. When the trailer is backed into position, no foam or fabric impedes the doorway. This provides clear and unobstructed access to the trailer. The Foamside Dock Shelter has unique Tufsteel® frame components that are are covered by a 5-year limited warranty against rotting, cracking or warping.
TS Series Rigid Frame Shelters have a design that accommodates a wide variety of door and trailer sizes while providing access to the back of the trailer across its entire width.
Kelley HINGE GUARDTM Dock Shelter Systems address a sometimes overlooked source of energy loss. This system blocks trailer hinge gaps like a seal and provides unrestricted trailer access like a shelter. By providing both, HINGE GUARD offers superior energy efficiency as well as protection from dust, insects and other debris. It is also easier to use as it is automatically activated by the backing trailer by grasping the sides of the trailer and covering the hinge gaps to create a consistent seal top to bottom. HINGE GUARD is an available option on all FoamSide® Dock Shelters.
Shelter Your Loading Dock This Winter
Installing any of the above shelters would provide superior loading dock protection. We don’t know what kind of winter we will have yet, but since it’s Michigan, we can predict that there will be snow, ice, wind, and rain, and that will make working more difficult and less safe on an unprotected loading dock. It’s not too late to shelter your loading dock so it is ready to meet the challenges of this winter. If have questions about which type of dock shelter would meet your loading dock’s needs best, give us a call. We would be happy to go over all of your options with you.