By Jeff Eriks, Cambridge Companies
Designing A Truck Maintenance Facility
Factors such as layout, sizing, equipment, and amenities can impact a facility’s operational efficiency.
Many decisions go into designing a truck maintenance facility, but some key points can most impact the overall design and programming of the space. These factors include layout, sizing, equipment, and amenities of the facility that do not pertain to the aesthetics and other criteria. As a result, this is to make sure the facility is designed to get trucks in and out in a safe, efficient manner. Operationally efficient facilities make your whole company run smoother.
Point 1: Types of trucks
The starting point to truck maintenance facility design is to identify the types of trucks you are servicing. The type of truck matters because you need to completely understand what maintenance you will be doing in the facility. The types of trucks determine the length of the bays required.
Typically, a maintenance facility will encounter several different types of trucks, including:
- Rear Loaders
- Front Loaders
- Side Loaders
- Automated Trucks
- Roll-off Trucks
- Semi-Tractors
- Or Transfer Trailers.
Each truck has different maintenance requirements, clearances, and equipment needed based on what you will do in the shop.
Further, taking the time to identify the quantity and type of trucks that will enter a facility can ensure the design team fully understands the use of the shop. This can help avoid issues like mechanics not having enough clearance around or above the truck to perform necessary maintenance.
Once the vehicle types serviced by the facility are determined, operators should consider whether the shop will incorporate a wash bay or work areas for container repair. These aspects can necessitate a whole separate list of questions that will need to get discussed in more detail.
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