At Drake Scruggs Equipment, we’re taking our custom truck builds to the next level with our cutting-edge Computer-Aided Design (CAD) program! This new process enhances how we design and position essential accessories, equipment, and safety features — ensuring every inch of your truck is optimized for efficiency, safety, and functionality.
Precision Meets Safety
Safety has always been a top priority, and our CAD system makes it easier than ever to ensure the correct placement of safety rails, step heights, handrails, and lighting — including strobe lighting, step lighting, access lighting, and work lighting. No more guesswork—just precise, well-thought-out designs that put safety first.
Maximizing Space with Custom Fabrication
Our extensive custom fabrication experience allows us to make the most of every inch of your truck build. Whether it’s material rails, transformer holders, wire reel storage, or ladder compartments, CAD helps us create innovative solutions for space limitations while improving ergonomics and accessibility.
Bringing Your Vision to Life
When you order with us, you have the option to have your truck to be designed in CAD first, allowing you to preview and adjust the build before production begins. You can review your design online or visit us in person to discuss placement options for equipment, storage, and accessories. After your input, our team finalizes the design, provides an updated quote if needed, and delivers a comprehensive final build packet — ensuring the truck you get is exactly the one you envisioned.
Meet the Mind Behind the CAD Magic
To give you an inside look at our growing CAD program, we’ll be sitting down with our CAD designer, Brandon Lavely, for an exclusive Q&A! Read on to learn about his experience, what excites him about this new process, and how CAD is shaping the future of custom truck builds at Drake Scruggs Equipment.
Have questions or interested in designing your own custom truck? Contact us today!
- What inspired you to pursue a career in CAD design, and how did you get started?
Initially, I was interested in becoming a Civil Engineer and took CAD classes with that career in mind. However, things changed, and I had the opportunity to become a professional drag racing mechanic. For nine years, I worked in the racing industry, always striving to make the process of working on race cars quicker and safer.As a clutch mechanic, my job required precision and efficiency in a high-pressure, time-sensitive environment. I was also responsible for assembling cars with fiber optics, pneumatic controllers, safety systems, and diagnostic data systems in a constantly evolving industry.
I started in production here at Drake-Scruggs but quickly realized that my experience in racing could be applied to building custom equipment. I thrive on finding more efficient and consistent ways to build these trucks while reducing the hours required to complete them. When the opportunity arose to become a CAD designer for the company,
I jumped at it. Within a few months, I was able to create and launch the CAD division, transforming the way we do things at Drake-Scruggs.
- How long have you been with Drake-Scruggs Equipment, and what do you enjoy most about your role?
I have been with Drake Scruggs for three years. What I enjoy most is the ability to unify the process between our customers, sales team, quoters, purchasers, and production team. It’s rewarding to see how happy customers are after the CAD review process and how satisfied our team is when we successfully collaborate to bring a build to life. - What excites you the most about integrating CAD into our truck build process?
Before stepping into this role, I worked in the production facility building and assembling trucks. I often wondered what it would be like to have someone assist with the fabrication and installation process before the truck even entered my bay. Now, it’s exciting to be that person for our production team.Being able to answer questions and solve problems before the truck hits the production floor has been a huge morale booster for both the production and admin teams. It’s incredibly satisfying to know that my work has a direct impact on improving efficiency and teamwork.
- Can you share an example of a unique or challenging project you’ve worked on?
One particularly challenging project involved a COOP that had a strict length restriction. We went through the CAD review process with the customer, but later discovered that the truck had to fit within a specific loading dock size.The original design included outriggers spaced away from the body for compartment access, an under-tail shelf storage box, and a custom pass-through tail shelf. However, once we received the exact length restrictions, we realized our design was 22 inches too long — not good.
Fixing this issue took the better part of a day, but with the help of Knapheide’s engineers, we designed a custom tail shelf that met all the customer’s needs while reducing the overall length to fit the loading dock. This experience highlighted the critical role CAD plays in problem-solving and ensuring successful builds before the build hits our production floor.
- How does CAD improve both customer experience and production efficiency?
Since we are a custom truck upfitter, we’ve noticed that our customers like having options—sometimes lots of them. Many of our customers require truck upfits tailored to the operator’s specific needs, and CAD plays a crucial role in making this possible.With CAD, customers and operators can visually confirm that the truck design meets their expectations before production begins. If any issues arise, they can be addressed through a design solution without requiring in-person visits. Additionally, by sharing our CAD designs online, we save customers time and allow for collaborative review, ensuring valuable input from multiple team members.
We expect that CAD will continue to improve our production times, allowing us to deliver trucks to customers faster while ensuring that accessories, compartmentation, and equipment are correctly ordered. This will also enhance scheduling accuracy and completion date estimates, further streamlining our process.
