The pavement outside a warehouse takes more punishment than the floor inside. A loaded tractor-trailer weighs up to 80,000 pounds, makes tight turns on the same spots every day and parks its landing gear on one small patch of the apron. Pavement that was sized like a parking lot fails in a couple of seasons. We build truck courts and trailer yards as structural pavement, because that is what they are.
The design starts with turning paths. A 53-foot trailer needs a wide swing to back into a dock, and the court depth, stall angle and lane width follow from that geometry. Then we look at the loads, the subgrade, the drainage and the gate. A good yard moves trucks without anyone thinking about it, and a bad one produces a daily traffic jam that no operator will tolerate for long.
We build yards for new distribution centers and add them to existing buildings that have outgrown their pavement.
Roads, ramps and where trucks come from
Oklahoma trucking runs on a few big corridors. In Oklahoma City, the John Kilpatrick Turnpike is 31 miles long with its entire route inside the city limits, and its southern extension to SH-152 opened in stages in 2020. In the Tulsa area, ODOT lists an I-44 and SH-66 interchange improvement in Catoosa with ramp work continuing into early 2027. Between the two metros, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority approved a $39.2 million contract in 2024 to widen I-44 (the Turner Turnpike) to six lanes west of Stroud.
Those projects matter to a yard designer because the public road decides how trucks arrive. A site near a busy interchange needs more queue space on the property, since trucks will not wait on a ramp. We study the approach roads, the access permits and the likely arrival pattern at the start of design. See how those conditions play out in Oklahoma City and Catoosa.
Pavement type, depth and layout
Concrete or asphalt? The usual answer is both. Concrete goes where trailers stop and turn: the dock apron, the gate throat and the fuel or scale areas. Asphalt suits the long travel lanes and the car parking where loads are lighter and the owner wants a lower first cost. We lay out the boundary between the two so that the joint falls where trucks do not turn.
Depth depends on the subgrade, which we test. Weak soil takes cement or lime stabilization or a thicker base, and we price that in the proposal rather than leaving it as an allowance. We also set slopes for drainage, usually one to two percent away from the building, and place inlets where the water will actually reach them. Standing water in a truck court weakens the base and freezes in winter.
Paving and concrete we coordinate
We coordinate the concrete work in the yard, including dock approach slabs, dowelled joints, curb and gutter, and trailer landing pads. That gives us control over the joint layout, the curing and the finishing, which are the three things that keep concrete pavement in service. Doweled transverse joints at the dock edge are a standard detail for us, and we do not substitute thinner sections to save a few dollars.
For asphalt, we coordinate with a paving contractor under our supervision and stay on site during compaction. We also build the supporting items: striping, signs, bollards, light pole bases and fencing. When the yard and the building go in together, the pavement crews can work while the shell progresses, which shortens the overall schedule.
Sequencing with the building
Pavement is a late item in most projects, but its subgrade work comes early. We rough-grade the court at the start, protect the stone base and keep construction traffic on temporary lanes so that finished pavement is not used as a haul road. When the tilt panels and the roof are done, the heavy trucks stop coming, and we place the final pavement section.
Concrete cures slowly in winter and fast in summer, and asphalt needs warm weather. We schedule yard paving around the season and tell owners when the court will be open for trucks. If a tenant needs temporary use before the final paving is done, we can build a stabilized interim surface, though it comes with a cost.
Stormwater, access and permits
A large paved yard is a large stormwater problem. Cities review drainage plans, and some require detention sized to a design storm. Oklahoma sets statewide minimum building codes through the Uniform Building Code Commission, and cities adopt their own editions and amendments, so site work and accessibility requirements follow the local rules. We confirm the requirements and submit complete civil sheets with the building permit package.
Access to the public street needs its own approval. A driveway onto a state highway or a turnpike frontage road involves ODOT or the turnpike authority, and the lead time can run longer than the building schedule. We start the access application early and keep the owner informed of its status.
Yards as part of a larger program
The yard connects to the rest of the project. Our dock equipment work depends on the apron slope and elevation, and the site utilities package runs under the court, so pipe and conduit must be placed before pavement. For a logistics operator with a large trailer fleet, we plan trailer parking for growth.
We also serve distribution centers that need additional parking after the building opens. Adding a trailer lot to an existing facility is common, and we handle drainage, lighting and gate integration so the new area works with the old.
Share the truck count and the parcel
Give us the trailer types, the door count and the site boundary. We will draw the court, tell you what the pavement costs and show where the trucks will queue.
Common Questions
How deep should the truck court be?
A common range is 130 to 185 feet from the dock face, including a 60-foot apron plus maneuvering and staging. The right depth depends on your trailers, dock layout and whether you want trailer parking on the court. We draw turning paths for your trucks to confirm.
Concrete or asphalt for the trailer lot?
Concrete lasts longer where trailers park and turn, since landing gear and brakes damage asphalt. Asphalt costs less and works well for light-duty lanes. Most owners use both, and we locate the boundary to limit wear.
How many trailer stalls do we need?
Count your live dock doors and add extra stalls for drop trailers, since many operators use two or three trailers per door. Cross-dock and 3PL buildings often need more. We plan the layout with room to extend the lot.
What does the permit process look like for a large paved yard?
Expect drainage review, access review and sometimes a traffic study. Cities and state agencies have different lead times. We submit complete drawings early and track the approvals so the schedule does not depend on a late stamp.
Can you add a trailer lot to an existing warehouse?
Yes. We assess existing drainage, utility locations and the building edge, then design the lot so it connects cleanly. We often build it in phases so the facility can keep running during construction.