The first and most important aspect of successful dock seal/shelter installation is proper selection. Improper consideration of the selection criteria not only results in a poor installation, but can lead to damage and reduced efficiency.

Dimensions to consider are:
- Normal width of trucks serviced
- Normal height of trucks serviced
- Truck bumper projection
- Normal truck bed heights.


(level, declined, or inclined).

If required, seals can be tapered to ensure parallel compression along the entire face of the side pads, thereby creating an effective seal.


The size of the door opening determines the most suitable models of seals or shelters.


The difference in inches from the face of the wall to the front face of the dock bumper. On declined approaches, the bumper projection must be sufficient to eliminate the potential of trucks impacting the upper wall.


Wall construction, strength, and type may determine the style of seal/shelter to be specified. Inflatable dock seals are best suited in applications where the wall is not designed to accept higher compression forces of conventional seals or shelters.

The difference in height from the finished grade to the top of the dock floor.


When specifying dock seal/shelter sizes, keep in mind one goal: effectively sealing the majority of vehicles that will be serviced at the loading dock.

In most cases, it is not practical to install a variety of dock seal configurations to accommodate the uncommon trailer sizes. For that reason, it is important to ensure that what is specified will seal the majority of vehicles.

The first step is to determine the size of trailer that frequents the loading dock most.

Generally, the most common trailer will be approximately 13'-6" high from ground level and have an outside trailer width of 96" to 102".

A standard goal is to maintain the inside seal opening at 90" to 96" wide, the height at approximately 12' to 13', and the clear door height at a minimum of 96".

Projection of the dock seal should be sized to allow 4" to 6" of seal compression before the trailer contacts the bumper. Projection of dock shelters typically ranges between 18" and 24" to allow sufficient trailer penetration.

Dock seal for an 8' wide door. Side pads can be beveled to close the door opening down or to accommodate wider doors.

Dock shelter for a 10' wide door. For dock shelters the opening should be closed down to 90" wide x 90" high to allow sufficient vehicle penetration.