Raxel Storage Systems, suppliers of pallet racking, shelving and warehouse equipment have recently won a contract to design, supply and install four retractable dock shelters for Allied Bakeries.

Raxel were approached after the successful installation of pallet racking at one of Allied’s new distribution centres. After the move into their new site, Allied found problems with the existing dock levels regarding health & safety and heat loss.

As their operation required regular deliveries and despatches throughout the day, the warehouse doors would remain open for long periods of time. During these times a large amount of heat would be lost out of the building. In addition to this it was discovered that their forklift drivers were being dazzled by sunlight at certain times of the day, whilst transferring pallets from the building into the trailers.

Raxel were asked to design and develop a system that would seal the rear of the trailers, but remain flexible enough to be compatible with any vehicle from their vast fleet of rigid box trucks and trailers, including double-deck vehicles. In addition to the flexibility in height, each dock shelter had to be retractable to allow for maintenance of the dock levels.

Raxel installed four retractable dock shelters all fitted on heavy duty castors allowing them to be retracted by hand with ease. Fitted to three of the units are adjustable head canopies with predefined location points allowing for the adjustment of the canopy to suit most of their vehicles. The fourth canopy was designed to take Allied Bakeries’ large double-deck trailers.