Painting a commercial truck is mostly preparation. The color goes on in an afternoon; what decides whether it still looks right in three years is what happened to the surface before the gun came out. This is semi truck painting and trailer painting done in our own shop in Tacoma — cabs, trailer bodies and box bodies, in fleet colors or a custom design.
What we paint
Truck painting here covers both truck cabs and trailers — full repaints, single panels after body work, box bodies, and the parts that get missed and then rust first: bumpers, fuel tank straps, mud flap brackets, frame rails and step boxes. A single repainted panel has to match the eleven around it, which is a different problem from painting a whole cab one color.
Fleet colors and custom work
We can match your brand colors or apply a full custom design. For a fleet that matters more than it does for one truck: a unit that comes back a slightly different shade of your own blue is worse than one that was never painted, because it sits next to the others in the yard every morning.
Corrosion is the real enemy here
Trucks in the South Sound live in salt air and winter road treatment. We use high-quality coatings that guard against corrosion, and on a repair we deal with what is under the paint first — a good topcoat over rust that was not stopped just hides it for a season and then lifts.
Body work comes first
Paint does not fix a dent, and it does not hold on a panel that still moves. If the unit took a hit, the body and structural work happens first — see the body shop page — and then it goes to paint as one job rather than two visits.
How long truck painting takes
Most projects are completed in two to four days depending on size and prep work. A single panel is faster; a full cab and trailer in a fleet color with real surface preparation is the top of that range. We would rather tell you four days and hold it than tell you two and keep the truck a week.
Where we are
1616 E 26th St, Tacoma, WA 98421 — on the tideflats, minutes from the port terminals. Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Saturday 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. We work with fleets across the South Sound out to about 50 miles, but painting is shop work: the unit has to come to us.
Common questions
Can you match our fleet colors?
Yes — we can match your brand colors or apply a full custom design. On a fleet that is the point: a truck that comes back a slightly different shade of your own color stands out in the yard every morning.
Do you paint trailers as well as cabs?
Yes, we paint both truck cabs and trailers, including box bodies and single panels after body work.
How long does a paint job take?
Most projects are completed in two to four days depending on size and prep work. A single panel is faster; a full cab and trailer in a fleet color is the top of that range.
Will the paint hold up to winter roads?
We use high-quality coatings that guard against corrosion, and on a repair we deal with what is under the paint first. A topcoat over rust that was not stopped lifts within a season.
Do I need body work before paint?
If the unit took a hit, yes — paint does not fix a dent and will not hold on a panel that still moves. We do the body and structural work first and then paint it as one job.
Related services
Body and paint are shop work. Everything below runs out of the same bay at 1616 E 26th St, and the same techs do it.
Bring it to 1616 E 26th St, Tacoma, WA 98421 or call (425) 900-6212 and describe the damage — we will tell you what it takes before you commit to anything.
Truck down? Let's get you rolling.
Book your truck or trailer in, or call and talk to a real tech.
Book a repair →Call (425) 900-6212