We produce detailed and accurate 2D AutoCAD drawings to ensure optimum layout and engineering feasibility of the truck and its various components. We go to great lengths to engineer your truck proposal drawing to the maximum extent possible prior to purchase!

Your dealer will submit your truck order. The SVI Contract Administrator will then:

• Record the order
• Issue your truck's build number
• Schedule the pre-construction meeting
• Lay the project timeline into the design and production schedule
• Your truck will receive a build number, which your Contract Administrator will communicate to you, and we will lay the project timeline into the design and production schedule.

Please reference the provided build number in all your correspondence, especially if shipping components to SVI.

We cannot over-emphasize the importance of this phase.  We recommend you hold the pre-construction meeting at the SVI Fort Collins factory. An in-person meeting will enable you to get quick answers to technical questions and give you the advantage of viewing 10-15 trucks of various types at various stages to help you further dial in your truck design.

During the pre-construction meeting:

• We conduct a complete read-through of every line item in the SVI Proposal Specification.
• We review every compartment to ensure the layout meets your exact needs. You will have direct engineering support to help determine fit, feasibility and optimal design for all aspects of the apparatus.
• We will update the proposal drawing as changes are requested throughout the meeting, allowing you to see if the revision will work or not.
  • When you leave, you will have an updated drawing in hand! 
• We will complete a thorough review of the proposed graphics package (if applicable).
  • If you want SVI to re-produce graphics from existing units, please bring digital photos. SVI uses our own state-of-the-art, in-house graphics department (svigraphics.com). 
  • A final design and layout will be provided and require a signature for approval.
• We will note any changes or request you have and issue you a Change Order. (See Phase 4.)

Throughout the entire meeting, we make every effort to ensure the apparatus is optimally designed from the start. Final inspection is not the time to discover if something is not going to fit, which is why the pre-construction meeting plays a very important role in this matter. 

To make the most of this time, we will need as much detailed information as possible. We have included a form below to assist you in this matter. Please fill this out before scheduling the pre-construction meeting. Experience has shown that digital pictures and dimensions of equipment that will be stored on the truck are extremely helpful.

Following the pre-construction meeting, we will create a Change Order for any changes or requests you have. We will include all options you wish to investigate on the Change Order. Only the items you check yes to and sign will then become part of the Production Specification.

• Our goal is to have the Change Order to you within 1-2 weeks of completion of the pre-construction meeting.
• To prevent delays in your production schedule, we request the pre-construction meeting Change Order be returned within 25 days of receipt.
  • If the Change Order is not returned on-time, we may add production days to the contract period. These steps are necessary to ensure engineering has enough time to go through the design and prevent any delays in construction.

 Once we receive the signed Change Order, we will then update the Production Specification and Sales Drawings with the selected changes, then send both back to you in the form of an Approval Package for final signature.

Once we received your signed Approval Package, we will order the cab and chassis from the chassis manufacturer.  We like to have the chassis here during the design and construction phase since there are many interrelated items between the body and the chassis that we need to coordinate.

• Commercial chassis delivery times range from 45 – 100 days.
• Custom chassis delivery times range from 150 – 180 days.

The construction phase begins! To provide you with regular updates on your truck's progress, we maintain a Dropbox folder on the SVI Trucks' website, showing progress photos your truck that are organized into sub -olders. These sub-folders reflect various stages of construction when completed. The folders are organized as follows:

• Drawings and Production Specifications: This folder is the first to be populated.
• Cab and Chassis: This folder is populated after it arrives.
• Fabrication Subframe: As production begins, the remaining folders are populated until completion.
• Fabrication Sheet Metal
• Paint
• Final Assembly

The folder can be accessed at svitrucks.com/trucks-in-production. Password: mytruck

During construction, photos are updated weekly. Note: If there is no visible progress, photos may not be updated that week. Please be patient. However, to ensure you get your truck the way you envisioned it, please fell free to contact your Contract Administrator at any time with questions you have about your truck or the process in general.

To increase corrosion resistance, we laser cut all required holes in sheet metal prior to painting. At this time and if applicable, the Contract Administrator will schedule your mid-point inspection trip. This inspection allows you to assess the general equipment layout to note if any changes are required. During the inspection, please note:

• All specified trays, shelving, tool boards, etc. are fabricated separate from the truck body and mounted after paint is completed. DO NOT expect to see these options in truck body during your mid-point inspection.
• A mid-point inspection can adversely affect the production schedule if travel does not correspond with the short scheduling window between fabrication and paint.

Once fabrication and any mid-point inspections are complete, the body will go to paint. At SVI Trucks, we use premium paint products to achieve the finest paint finish in the industry. The body is undercoated prior to being placed on the chassis to ensure 100% coverage.

Following paint, the body moves to the harness division for electrical wiring. We have developed a well-organized, easy-to-understand layout for our electrical circuits and wiring harnesses. You can expect:

• All wires to be labeled every few feet with their specific purpose and clearly explained on all as-built electrical schematics.
• Extra pre-placed wires in the wire troughs for future wiring additions.
• Well-designed wire access holes to facilitate future additions or repairs.

It is important we lay out electrical components and their locations in great detail during the pre-construction meeting (and if applicable, mid-point inspection) to help plan ahead for the wiring layout and diagrams.

Following wiring, your truck body will be mounted to its chassis and moved to final assembly. It's here, where the final details can make all the difference between an average truck and a superior one. Our skilled and experienced finish crew will install trays, doors and components and make sure everything fits and functions perfectly.

Lettering and striping will be installed per the approved layout from the pre-construction meeting.

We invite you to the factory for a final inpsection of your truck, or we can schedule a virtual inspection if necessary. Together, if we took the care and time in the above steps, this should be the easiest and most rewarding experience of all — the fruits of your labor!  We take this opportunity to go through great detail to review the Production Specification in tandem with the finished truck to make sure everything is exactly the way you expected it to be.  Any issues will be documented and addressed.

Once all final inspection items have been addressed, your truck is ready for delivery! Your Contract Administrator will coordinate transport of your truck. Once in service, please use these resources should you ever need assistance:

• TRUCK MANUALS: Every truck at SVI is one-of-a-kind, so your truck manual will be specific to your truck. Every truck is equipped with a digital manual that can be accessed via the QR code equipped on your truck. You can also find your manual in our Truck Manuals Directory at svitrucks.com/manuals.
• PARTS, SERVICE AND WARRANTY: Although we do not expect you'll have any issues with your truck, should something come up, we are here to help!  The specification will outline SVI's warranty terms, and all physical copies of the component manufacturer warranties will be included in the truck. Warranty authorization can be accomplished by:
  • Calling 888-784-1112
  • Emailing mailto:[email protected]
  • Submitting our warranty form at svitrucks.com/warranty