If your business depends on trucks moving goods, carefully consider your trucking needs before developing or redeveloping a site. Planning for trucking maneuvers in advance will increase efficiency and, ultimately, your profitability.

Efficiency. Time is wasted when trucks can’t find your business. If they have to make difficult maneuvers to access your loading docks, your employees have to wait for trucks to dock, and other vehicles have to wait for trucks to clear your driveway. When you add up the losses, the value of good on-site circulation makes sense.

Provide good signage for your business. Then, design effective ways to get trucks docked, loaded or unloaded, and back on the street without disrupting your daily routine or that of your customers.

Safety. Quality on-site design protects your customers and employees from conflicts with heavy truck traffic. As a practical matter, you should not mix cars and trucks in the same parking areas, or even allow them to share travel aisles.

The same care should be given with respect to site access. The New York State Department of Transportation, as well as many counties and municipalities, have driveway permit policies to promote safety. Large trucks can’t accelerate or stop as quickly as passenger vehicles. They require more time and space for maneuvering. Longer sight distances and larger turning radii are needed to maintain truck movements on highways and at intersections.

Property Protection. It doesn’t require a large investment to protect against mishaps such as an 18-wheeler crushing a telephone service box, knocking out a transformer, or causing enough damage to shut you down. Curbs, bollards, and lighting can assist truck drivers by providing visual and sensory cues to stop moving when they are too close to a building, other vehicles, or critical utilities.

Construction Costs. The amount of pavement needed to meet your traffic needs is a critical design factor if you are cost-conscious. Increasing the size of pavement areas makes for easier trucking maneuvers, but it needs to be balanced with the additional cost of thicker pavement needed to carry heavy loads. Expense is also incurred to design and purchase heavy-duty manholes, underground storage tanks, and support pads located within the truck maneuvering area. Retaining a designer who understands these cost issues and works to protect your financial investment makes sense.

Before making a commitment to purchase or develop a parcel, have a consultant with an understanding of trucking circulation review your site. Contact Tim Gawenus, P.E. at (585) 334-1310.