Landing gear puts thousands of pounds on a few square inches of pavement, and asphalt loses that argument. A truck court and trailer yard take the harshest loading on an industrial site: turning tractors, braking trailers, stationary landing gear, and fuel and oil drips. We build them as structures, not as parking, with a designed subgrade, base, pavement section, joint layout and drainage.
The first decision is geometry. We lay out the court from the turning radius of the vehicles you use, including the longest trailer you expect, the dock positions, the gate, the guard shack and the queuing area. A court that works for one truck often fails for a line of them, so we test the layout against a swept path for the peak movement, not for the average.
The second is material. Concrete is the right pavement in dock approach zones and trailer drop areas, asphalt can serve drive aisles in some designs, and the mix depends on loading, cost and the owner's maintenance plan. We price both and lay out the transitions, so the joint between them does not become the first failure point.
Traffic, loads and the Colorado calendar
Denver averages about 49 to 54 inches of snow a year, and freeze-thaw cycles work on every joint and crack in a yard. Concrete with air entrainment, correct curing and well-sealed joints resists the cycle; poorly drained subgrade defeats it. We specify base materials that drain, grade the subgrade to carry water to inlets, and set joints at spacings that control cracking.
Snow management is a design item. We locate snow storage where meltwater drains to the detention system and not over the court, mark plow routes in the site plan, and protect hydrants and light poles with bollards that withstand a plow strike. Salt and deicers matter for concrete durability, and we choose joint sealants and curing methods accordingly.
What we build
The scope includes subgrade preparation and proof rolling, geotextile or lime or cement stabilization where soils require it, base course placement and compaction, reinforced concrete paving in drop zones and aprons, asphalt in drive aisles when selected, striping, wheel stops, bollards, guard rails, curb and gutter, and dock-area drainage. Our dock aprons and loading zones work ties the court to the buildings' dock positions.
Pavement markings and lighting finish the job. Lane striping, stop bars, trailer stall numbers, pedestrian crossings and directional arrows are laid out with the operator's yard rules, since a driver who reads the yard correctly moves faster and hits fewer things. Poles and foundations are located so that no turning path crosses them, and conduit for lighting is installed before paving to avoid saw cutting a new slab. Many courts also need fuel and wash areas, scales, gates and security structures. We coordinate with the owner's fleet and security vendors, build the foundations and conduits for gates and scales, and leave the ducts that later systems need. For larger sites, we can add rail spur site improvements where trucks and rail share a transfer area.
Subgrade first
Pavement fails from below. We proof roll the subgrade with a loaded truck, mark soft areas, and correct them before base goes down. Where expansive clay is present, as the Colorado Geological Survey notes is common in Colorado, we confirm the stabilization or moisture-control approach with the geotechnical engineer, since heave in a yard shows up as cracked panels and misaligned joints.
Concrete placement is controlled. We use a mix designed for freeze-thaw, place it with a laser screed or paver where the area justifies it, finish to the specified tolerance, cure for the full period and saw joints within the window. Dowels transfer loads across joints where trucks cross them, and tie bars hold longitudinal joints together. Each pour has a record of weather, mix and tests.
How pavement choices change cost
The pavement thickness and section drive the price. A yard built for 80,000 pound loaded trucks with frequent turning is thicker than one built for light traffic. Doweled concrete costs more than undoweled concrete, but it extends the life of the court. We show life-cycle numbers where the owner wants them, including maintenance of joints and replacement of damaged panels.
Stabilization and import of base material add cost on soft sites. Drainage, lighting and security have their own budgets, and we list them separately so that the owner can compare yard options on equal terms. For multi-building parks, a shared court sometimes reduces total paving but needs agreements on maintenance and access.
Courts across the freight network
Colorado trucking corridors shape how yards are used. The city of Commerce City says it has two Class I freight rail lines, sits where three major interstates meet, and is directly adjacent to Denver International Airport. Limon is called the Hub City because Interstate 70, US 24, US 40, US 287 and Colorado Highway 71 all meet there. Both are markets where a yard's traffic is heavy and continuous.
Rail-served parks such as Windsor's Great Western Industrial Park, with dual rail interchanges to Union Pacific and BNSF and buildings from 60,000 to 1,000,000 square feet, raise additional questions about cross-docking and transloading. We discuss the operation with the owner before we draw the yard. A logistics and distribution operator and a manufacturer with outbound shipping use the same court in different ways, and the design should reflect that. In Brighton, with US 85 and State Highway 7 nearby, yards often serve both.
Draw the yard with the fleet in mind
Send the site plan and the vehicles you run. We will test the layout against swept paths and quote a pavement section for each zone.
Common Questions
Should the trailer yard be concrete or asphalt?
Concrete is best where trailers are parked with landing gear down and where trucks turn and brake, such as docks and drop pads. Asphalt can serve drive aisles at lower cost if the section is designed for the traffic. Many sites use both, with a planned transition.
How do you design the turning radius?
From the vehicle you use, with swept path analysis for the longest expected trailer and a safety margin. We also look at how trucks queue at the gate and where they wait for a dock.
What about snow storage and drainage?
We reserve snow storage areas that drain to the detention system, set cross-slopes that move meltwater to inlets, and avoid drainage across drive lanes where it would freeze. These are in the site plan from the start.
What is the typical life of a truck court?
It depends on traffic, section and maintenance. A properly designed doweled concrete court can serve many years with joint resealing and panel repair. We do not promise a number; we give you the design basis and maintenance expectations in writing.
Can you add paving to an existing yard?
Yes. We tie new sections to existing paving with proper joints, correct grades, and phase the work so operations continue. See our stabilized parking lots scope for additional parking areas.