Truck Courts and Dock Aprons in Amarillo and the Panhandle

Landing gear punches through asphalt. A trailer parked at a dock for a few days puts its weight on two small steel pads, and in July heat the pavement under those pads can soften and dent. Every dock apron in the Panhandle has this problem, and the answer is concrete in the spots where trailers stand and where trucks turn.

A truck court is more than a paved area. It is a working surface with turning radii, slopes, drainage, lighting and a clear path for traffic. A dock apron is the part directly at the building, where leveler pits, bumpers and the dock face meet the pavement. Mistakes in either one show up fast, when a driver cannot back in or a leveler will not seat, and fixing them is expensive once the building is occupied.

We build truck courts, dock aprons, trailer parking, drive lanes and gate approaches for distribution, manufacturing, retail and processing facilities in Amarillo and across the Panhandle. Here is how the work is planned and priced, and what the region adds to the problem.

Start with the truck. The site plan should show the design vehicle, the turning path, the dock height and the number of doors. A 53-foot trailer needs a deep court, often 130 to 185 feet from the dock face to the far edge of the apron, to back in without blocking the drive lane. Court depth is one of the first things to settle, because it sets how much land the project needs.

Slope is next. A dock apron slopes away from the building, usually at a low percentage, so rain does not run into the dock. That slope also has to line up with the leveler range, and with the elevation of the finished floor. We get survey control on these elevations before we pour. A court that drains toward the building in a Panhandle thunderstorm will have a pond at the dock door, and a leveler pit that fills with water.

We build aprons in reinforced concrete, with dowelled joints and a thicker section where trailers park. Drive lanes may be concrete or heavy-duty asphalt, depending on traffic and budget. Our scope includes subgrade preparation, base course, reinforcing, dowels, forming, placement, finishing, saw cuts, joint sealing, striping, bollards, wheel stops and trailer-pad details.

Drainage and lighting are part of it. We install inlets, trench drains and sloped aprons that tie into the site drainage, and the stormwater and drainage trade partners coordinate. The slab in the building meets the apron at the dock, so we plan with the commercial concrete floor pour. The paved area that follows the apron to the street is covered under parking lot construction, and we often build the two together.

The region is a freight region. The Trade and Industry Development profile of Amarillo says the BNSF intermodal facility handles about 30,000 containers and trailers a year, and the same profile lists CenterPort Industrial Park as 440 acres with two rail lines and direct interstate access. Owners who move freight here deal with truck volumes that are large for a market of this size, and the courts need to be built for it.

Smaller towns follow the same pattern. Business View Magazine reported in February 2026 that about 18,000 vehicles pass through Dumas each day, and KFDA reported in July 2024 that a 14,000 square foot 24-hour truck stop was planned there. The state is also spending on the highway side: TxDOT began a $9.8 million replacement of the BI-40 bridge over I-40 near exit 85 east of Amarillo, with more vertical clearance for the freight corridor. Higher clearances mean fewer detours for tall loads. We pay attention to those facts because they change the approach roads, the haul times and the traffic our clients will see. For distribution owners, see distribution center buildings and logistics and distribution work.

Prices move with concrete thickness, area, subgrade treatment, reinforcing, joints and the number of doors. Concrete costs more than asphalt to install, but at the apron it lasts longer under static loads. Many owners put concrete at the dock and asphalt in the lanes, and that mix usually gives the best total cost.

Subgrade is the hidden cost. A court that carries loaded trucks needs a stable base, and the Panhandle's clay may need lime, cement or thicker base rock. Our mass grading work sets the subgrade before the concrete crew arrives. We also price joint spacing carefully, because closely spaced joints reduce cracking but add sawing and sealing costs. A good bid lists these choices so that owners can trade them against the budget.

Distances on the high plains are long, and we price them honestly. For a job in Dumas, Pampa or Hereford, we plan concrete supply and crew housing early, because the closest ready-mix plant is a planning fact, not an afterthought. Owners with several locations can use these details across multi-site rollouts.

Truck courts at larger sites, such as those near CenterPort Business Park, are often built in phases while the building is being finished, so we protect finished areas from construction traffic and open dock doors in the right order. Lighting poles, bollards and guard posts are set before the final paving so no one cuts into new concrete. We also walk the court with the owner's drivers before handover, because they spot problems with turning paths and gate swings that drawings can miss.

Send the site plan, the design truck and the number of doors. We will check the court depth and slopes and give you a priced apron and truck court package.

How deep should a truck court be?

It depends on the design truck and the layout. For 53-foot trailers, a court depth in the range of 130 to 185 feet from the dock face is common, but the civil engineer should confirm turning paths. We review the plan with the owner's transport team before we price it.

Should the dock apron be concrete or asphalt?

Concrete is usually best at the dock, where trailers stand for days and landing gear concentrates load. Asphalt can work on drive lanes. A mixed section often gives the best balance between first cost and life.

How do you keep water out of the dock?

The apron slopes away from the building, and inlets or trench drains catch runoff. We set elevations from survey control and verify them before we pour, because a few tenths of an inch can matter at a leveler pit.

Can you build the court while the building is under construction?

Yes, and it is common. We stage the work so that heavy trucks cross finished concrete only after it has reached strength, and we protect the floors and the dock faces from damage.

What about expansion joints and cracking?

We place joints to the engineer's pattern and seal them after the concrete shrinks. Some cracking is normal in any slab, but proper spacing, dowels and curing keep it tight and manageable.