Shunt Truck Noise Impact Evaluation and Control Methods

Shipping and receiving operations at industrial facilities utilizing multiple shunt trucks are common environment activities needed to maintain efficient and timely product deliveries. These activities are increasingly becoming an environmental nuisance subject to analysis and noise control engineering due to proximity and continuous impulsive bang generated during the connection and disconnection procedure of a shunt truck to a docked trailer. To evaluate practicable noise control requirements at the design stage, GHD was tasked to identify and design noise control solution(s) to remedy these complaints and show compliance with local environmental regulations. The control design was constrained by the operational restrictions of the fleet, transportation safety regulations and practical speed limitations on the connection activity placed on the drivers by the Facility. This paper reviews the investigation process, the bad actors that were identified, the noise control design, and finally the controls that were ultimately installed and the actual noise reduction results achieved.