On this page (7 sections)
What we take on and what we do not
Stated plainly: on Class 8 tractors we perform cab body repair, refinishing, structural work, and equipment installation. We do not perform engine work. We do not perform drivetrain work. We do not perform DOT inspections. Those go to a truck service facility with the diagnostic access and the certifications that work requires. We will point you toward the right place for it.
Within our scope sits nearly everything that a collision, a rollover, or years of vibration damages: hoods, fenders, fairings, cab shells, doors, roof fairings, bumpers, steps, tank straps, deck plates, and every painted surface on the vehicle. On a Freightliner, Peterbilt, Kenworth, Volvo, or International, that is the majority of a typical claim by dollar value. Aerodynamic components alone account for a surprising share of that.
Being clear about this early saves a fleet real money. A truck sitting in a body shop while somebody negotiates who handles the mechanical side is a truck not earning, and we would rather tell you the boundary on the first call than discover it at teardown. A tractor parked between two providers while somebody makes a decision is the most expensive outcome available.
Hoods, fairings, and a cab riding on air
The hood on a modern conventional is a large fiberglass or sheet moulded compound assembly that tilts forward on hinges at the front. Every tilt cycle loads those hinges and their mounting points, and the moulding around them fatigues. Cracks radiating from a hinge mount or a latch striker are among the most common findings on a high-mileage tractor. Prior repairs stacked in the same area make it worse.
Aerodynamic fairings do something similar at their mounts. They are large, light, and mounted at a handful of points on a chassis that flexes constantly, so the brackets fatigue and the panels stress crack at the fastener holes. Patching the crack without addressing the mount stiffness produces a crack half an inch further along. Brackets get reinforced or replaced at the same time.
Cab air suspension quietly causes body complaints. When an air bag under the cab leaks or a leveling valve drifts, the cab sits low or twisted, and doors stop lining up with their strikers. Drivers report a door problem. The cause is often a suspension problem, and we check ride height before adjusting anything on the door. Air leaks and door complaints arrive together more often than not.
Refinishing a cab that has to look right in a yard
Full cab refinishing on a tractor is high-visibility work. These trucks carry company identity, sometimes a great deal of owner pride, and increasingly complex colour schemes with metallics, pearls, and multi-stage effects. The panels are large and mostly flat, which is the least forgiving surface geometry for hiding an application variation. Large flat panels magnify every difference in gun distance and overlap.
Preparation dominates the hours. Disassembly of lights, mirrors, grille components, trim, and fairings, correcting existing surface defects, and masking a vehicle this size take longer than spraying it. We itemize prep separately from spray time on the estimate so the number is legible rather than mysterious. Disassembly hours in particular deserve to be visible, since they are the difference between masking around a mirror and removing it.
Fleet lettering and graphics get planned into the sequence. Removing a wrap or lettering, repairing, refinishing, and reapplying is one job here rather than a handoff, and matching an existing scheme across a repaired panel is easier when the same shop controls both stages. We photograph placement and measure from body features before removing lettering, so the scheme returns exactly where it was rather than approximately.
How this body is built
Fiberglass or SMC hood and fairings over a steel cab structure on a bolted ladder frame.
Chassis: Freightliner, Peterbilt, Kenworth, Volvo, or International Class 8 frame.
We do cab body, paint, and structural work. Engine, drivetrain, and DOT inspection work is not performed here.
What fails on it
These are the failure patterns we see repeatedly on this body style. They are not generic RV problems. They come from how this particular vehicle is built and how it gets used.
- Hood hinge and mount cracking from repeated tilt cycles
- Fairing mount fatigue and stress cracking
- Cab air ride bag failure causing door misalignment
- Fuel tank strap and step assembly damage
Claims we handle on this vehicle
- Front-end collision
- Rollover cab damage
- Full cab refinish
- Fairing and aero damage
Services for this vehicle
Frequently Asked Questions
My hood is cracked around the hinge area. Repair or new hood?
Composite hood repair is realistic when the cracking is bounded and the mounting structure can be reinforced. We evaluate the laminate around the hinge, the condition of the mount, and whether previous repairs are stacked in the same area. A hood with cracks radiating from several mounts and prior filler over them is usually better replaced than repaired again.
Do you work on trailers as well as tractors?
Our commercial work centers on the tractor cab, the frame, and mounted equipment, plus box and flatbed bodies on straight trucks. Trailer work depends entirely on what the damage is, so it is worth a phone call with photographs. What we will not do on any commercial vehicle is engine, drivetrain, or DOT inspection work.
The driver door does not line up since a minor incident. Structural?
Maybe, and maybe not. Check the cab air suspension first, because a leaking bag or drifting leveling valve lets the cab settle out of position and the door then misses its striker. If ride height is correct and the door still misaligns, we measure the cab structure and the mounts, since a shifted cab mount produces exactly this symptom.
How long does a full cab repaint keep a truck off the road?
It depends on disassembly depth and how much surface correction the existing finish needs, which is why we scope it after inspection. What we can control is not starting until materials and any replacement components are on hand. Body and paint labor runs $210 per hour, and we quote prep and spray as separate line items.