Question: We are sealing the cold chain between offloading of containers from the Port side to delivery to the customer delivery ramp. In addition we are seeking HACCP certification. However, we are having challenges finding a dock seal solution for our container offloading bays. We currently have solid concrete blocks outside the doors that the containers are placed on by the port. The containers are placed on these blocks by port-owned straddle carriers. Due to the equipment used, the containers are placed between 10 and 12 feet away from the doors. The straddle carrier does not have the ability to push the container onto a fixed seal. Do you know of any options for dock seals that can extend and enclose this type of area.

Answer: Rail dock shelters should work. They are manufactured to extend outward, whereas the inflatable truck dock shelter extends very little. There are a number of manufacturers of rail dock shelters, including IACSC members Rite Hite Corporation.

Answered by Richard Dowdell, Cold Storage Consultant, Richard Dowdell Company.

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