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Dock Seal / Dock Shelter Cost Justification
Invest in a dock enclosure to prevent energy loss & enjoy significant cost savings
In today’s competitive global economy, loading docks have become busier and larger than ever before. With more trailers being loaded and unloaded, dock doors are opened more frequently, allowing cold air and snow penetration, as well as resulting in the loss of expensive heated or cooled air.
Without efficient sealing, these gaps between the dock doors and trailers can cost a business thousands of dollars every year. What’s more, the penetration of snow, rain, and other hazardous elements can damage the products and equipment, as well as influence the comfort and productivity of the workforce. Considering the multifaceted nature of the challenge, it has become essential for businesses to come up with a well-balanced winterization strategy for the docking area in order to reduce their operational costs and increase their employees comfort.
Winterize Your Loading Dock to Save More Money
While there are a number of ways businesses can make their docking area more energy-efficient, installation of dock seals and dock shelters remain one of the most cost-effective ways to winterize a dock.
To help you better understand how investing in a dock shelter or dock seal can help you save more money by boosting the energy efficiency of your docking area, we have developed a step-by-step method using which you determine whether or not installing a dock shelter is worth your money.
Justify Your Investment In Dock Seals and Shelters
Discover how you may be able to recoup thousands of dollars every year on your heating and cooling costs by installing a dock seal or shelter using the Chalfant’s Dock Seal/Dock Shelter Cost Justification method. This step-by-step method considers a number of factors to provide you with an accurate estimate of how much money you will save by installing a dock shelter.
Here’s how you can use our step-by-step method calculate the ROI for your dock winterization investment.
Step 1: Determine the Door Size
Determine the size of your dock doorway by multiplying the width of the door with its height. Round up the answer in 6” increments.
Door Size (in sq. ft.) = Width X Height
Subtract the non-sealed door square feet from total door size to determine non-sealed door size.
Step 2: Determine Average Wind Speed
Determine average wind speed in miles per hour (MPH). Multiple the answer by 88 to get average wind speed in feet per minute (FPM).
Step 3: Determine Energy Loss
To determine energy loss resulting from the opening and closing of dock doors, gather the following information.
- Hours per day a door is used
- Days per week a door is used
- Weeks of operation per year
Step 4: Calculate Temperature Differential
Determine the temperature differential for your region by subtracting the average outdoor temperature from average indoor temperature of your facility. To know the average outdoor temperature of your region, you may consult the website of National Weather Service.
Step 5: Determine the Cost of Energy Used
Identify the type of energy you use to maintain an adequate temperature inside your docking area, as well as the cost of energy per unit. Depending on their heating and cooling needs, most businesses use any one or more of the following three types of energy.
- Natural Gas — Unit of measurement for natural gas is ccf.
- Electricity — Unit of measurement for electricity is KWH.
- Heating Oil — Unit of measurement for heating oil is Gallon.
Step 6: Cost of Dock Enclosure
Pick the right type of dock enclosure for your facility and determine its cost. The selection of a dock enclosure will depend on the size of the door, dock height, dock traffic, weather conditions, and various other factors.
Step 7: Complete the Dock Seal / Dock Shelter Cost Justification Automatic Smart Form
Once you have gather the information simply input your information into our Cost Justification Automatic Smart Form for a complete analysis for your business. At Chalfant we help you determine whether installing a dock seal or dock shelter is an economically sound idea for your business.
FIND THE RIGHT DOCK SEAL/SHELTER
At Chalfant finding the right dock enclosure for your application just got easier. Whether its a dock seal, hybrid dock seal, flexible dock shelter, rigid dock shelter or or rail shelter, we can help guide you in making the right selection for your application.
SELECT A TOUGH DOCK LEVELER
Chalfant dock levelers and edge-of-docks are made of tough diamond tread plate design that assures a non-slip surface for greater safety and stops that lock the board firmly in place, for easy loading. Find out which “tough dock leveler” is the right choice for your application.
CHOOSE THE BEST TRUCK RESTRAINT
At Chalfant finding the right dock enclosure for your application just got easier. Whether its a dock seal, hybrid dock seal, flexible dock shelter, rigid dock shelter or or rail shelter, we can help guide you in making the right selection for your application.
Proper Loading Dock Equipment Selection
Contact us today for help you with proper loading dock equipment selection for your loading dock equipment application. We can help you in properly select and specify dock seals, dock shelters, rail shelters, dock levelers; hydraulic dock levelers and mechanical dock levelers, truck restraints, and your loading dock equipment needs, to meet your unique needs.
