A 5,600-square-foot repair building on more than five acres of M-1 land shows where Kern County’s truck yards and service shops are going.
The Taft Highway truck repair facility is a 5,600-square-foot, fully enclosed truck repair building with a 2,100-square-foot canopy and semi-truck parking. Bakersfield milk hauler DJ Trans Inc. plans it on more than five acres at 13130 BV Lake Court, west of South Enos Lane in unincorporated Kern County, California. The county’s notice of exemption for Precise Development Plan No. 16, Map 140, lists a July 16, 2026, hearing and was posted July 30, 2026.
Key takeaways
- Kern County’s notice of exemption for Precise Development Plan No. 16, Map 140 (SCH 2026071204) lists a July 16, 2026, hearing date. The State Clearinghouse posted it July 30, 2026.
- The plan allows truck repair wholly inside a 5,600-square-foot building with a 2,100-square-foot attached canopy, plus semi-truck parking. The parcel (APN 184-012-36) is listed at 5.23 to 5.33 acres.
- Applicant DJ Trans Inc. is a Bakersfield milk hauler with 54 power units and 60 drivers on its July 31, 2024, federal registration form, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
- A national brokerage reported on Sept. 8, 2025, that industrial outdoor storage rents had risen 123% since 2020, more than twice the rate of bulk warehouses.
- A Caltrans overview of the California Statewide Truck Parking Study ranks California 48th in the nation for truck parking spaces per vehicle mile traveled.
Project at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Project | Precise Development Plan No. 16, Map 140: enclosed truck repair building and semi-truck parking |
| Location | West of South Enos Lane on the south side of Taft Highway (State Route 119); 13130 BV Lake Court, unincorporated Kern County, Bakersfield area |
| Parcel | APN 184-012-36; 5.23 acres per the CEQAnet location field (5.33 acres in the project description) |
| Applicant | DJ Trans Inc. (Gurjant Singh); Ethosphere Studio listed as a project contact |
| Jurisdiction | Kern County Planning and Natural Resources Department |
| Case numbers | PD 16, Map 140; PP26208; PLN24-00075; SCH 2026071204 |
| Size | 5,600 SF repair building with 2,100 SF attached canopy; semi-truck parking (stall count not stated); 11,649 SF of new landscaping |
| Zoning | M-1 PD (Light Industrial, Precise Development Combining); general plan 7.1 Light Industrial |
| Environmental review | Exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15183; notice of exemption posted July 30, 2026 |
| Status | Notice of exemption on file; the 35-day CEQA challenge period ended about Sept. 3, 2026 |
| Next step | Building and grading permits, then construction; no schedule published |
What is planned for the Taft Highway truck repair facility?
It is a small truck service yard. Kern County’s notice of exemption describes a precise development plan “to allow truck repair, wholly enclosed within a 5,600-square-foot warehouse building with a 2,100-square-foot attached canopy” and semi-truck parking. The State Clearinghouse posted the notice on July 30, 2026.
The attached site plan shows semi-truck stalls of about 11.5 by 68 feet, 11,649 square feet of new landscaping, an existing well, an existing retention basin and a new septic tank. It gives no truck stall count, operating hours or employee numbers.
By our math, the building and canopy total 7,700 square feet, about 3% of the parcel. The value of a site like this lies in the yard, not the building.
How did Kern County clear it?
The county found the project exempt from a full environmental review because it fits the site’s existing zoning. The parcel is zoned M-1 PD, Light Industrial with a Precise Development combining district, under a 7.1 Light Industrial general plan designation. The description cites Section 19.36.020.D.5 of the county zoning code for the enclosed repair and Section 19.36.020.E.2 for the semi-truck parking.
In a PD district, no building or grading permit can be issued until a site plan is approved, the county planning department explains. The county relied on CEQA Guidelines Section 15183, which covers projects consistent with zoning or plans for which an environmental impact report was already certified. The notice names the Planning and Natural Resources Department as the approving body and lists July 16, 2026, as the date of hearing.
Where is the site on Taft Highway?
The site sits west of South Enos Lane on the south side of Taft Highway, southwest of Bakersfield. The notice gives the address as 13130 BV Lake Court (APN 184-012-36). Enos Lane is State Route 43 there, and its southern end meets Taft Highway, State Route 119, at a roundabout, per the route’s junction list.
Freeway access is the draw. By state highway postmiles, that roundabout sits roughly 1.6 miles west of Interstate 5’s Taft Highway interchange (exit 244) and about 13 miles west of Highway 99. The site is somewhat west of the roundabout, so the real distances run a little longer. SR 43 also runs north toward Shafter and Wasco.
The site plan labels neighboring land as vacant. Truck services already operate farther east on the corridor. At Highway 99 and Taft Highway, Love’s opened a travel stop in August 2024 with 111 truck parking spaces and a Speedco truck service shop. No earlier development plan for this parcel is public. The county case number, PLN24-00075, carries a 2024 prefix.
Who is DJ Trans Inc.?
DJ Trans is a Bakersfield refrigerated and milk hauler. CEQAnet lists Gurjant Singh of DJ Trans Inc. as the applicant, with a mailing address on Old Town Road in Bakersfield. Ethosphere Studio of Bakersfield is listed as a project contact. The same Old Town Road address is the mailing address on DJ Trans’ federal carrier record.
That FMCSA SAFER record shows DJ Trans Inc., doing business as DJ Transport (USDOT 2513429), as an active for-hire interstate carrier of refrigerated food and milk. Its registration form, dated July 31, 2024, lists 54 power units, 60 drivers and about 2.03 million miles driven in 2023.
The company’s website says Gurjant Singh and his wife, Daisy Singh, founded it in 2018. It hauls raw milk from dairy farms to processing plants in food-grade tank trailers, mainly in California, Arizona and Utah, and already advertises in-house repairs such as brakes, tires, tune-ups and grease jobs. The filing does not say whether the new shop will serve only DJ Trans’ fleet or outside customers.
Why are truck parking and service yards in demand in Kern County?
Truck parking is short across California, and Kern County is trying to steer fleet parking toward industrial land. A Caltrans overview of the California Statewide Truck Parking Study ranks the state 48th nationally in truck parking spaces per vehicle mile traveled. The Federal Highway Administration’s Jason’s Law survey found that 90% of drivers struggled to find safe, available parking at night. Most capacity is private: about 273,000 of roughly 313,000 U.S. truck spaces in FHWA’s 2019 count, Land Line reported.
In November 2025, the county Planning Commission recommended Title 19 zoning updates and “directed staff to remove proposed non-agricultural trucking allowances in agricultural zones after public comment,” CitizenPortal reported. In our view, that makes already-zoned industrial parcels near freeways, like this one, more valuable to carriers.
Industrial outdoor storage is outpacing warehouses
Truck yards, equipment lots and contractor yards make up a niche the industry calls industrial outdoor storage, or IOS. Our explainer on industrial outdoor storage covers the basics. A national brokerage reported on Sept. 8, 2025, that “IOS rents increased 123% since 2020, more than twice the rate of bulk warehouses.” It also said IOS vacancy runs about half that of bulk warehouses and that well-located sites “remain scarce due to zoning.” Brokers do not publish Kern County IOS rent or vacancy figures, so national data is the closest benchmark.
Bakersfield’s building market is looser. A national brokerage’s market report put Q2 2026 industrial availability at 10.1% across 67.4 million square feet, with average asking rent of $0.71 per square foot per month, triple net. A regional brokerage’s report measured 9.55% vacancy in Q2 2026 and said “logistics facilities face higher vacancy and pricing pressure while specialized and flex properties maintain stronger occupancy and rental rates.” A low-coverage truck service yard sits on the specialized side of that split.
Truck services are clustering near I-5
Two travel centers are moving forward at I-5 and Stockdale Highway (exit 253), about nine miles up the freeway by our count of exit numbers. Kern County approved Lynn Trucking’s plan, which includes a truck wash and repair shop, on July 9, 2026. We covered it in our article on the I-5 Stockdale Highway travel center. The Gurdial Singh Travel Center, a separate project by a different applicant, lists 49 truck parking spaces. It is in public review through Oct. 29, 2026.
Regulation adds service demand. Under the California Air Resources Board’s Clean Truck Check program, nearly all heavy-duty vehicles over 14,000 pounds operating in California must show emissions compliance every six months. Starting October 2027, vehicles with on-board diagnostics must test four times a year. Trucks that fall out of compliance face DMV registration blocks, so failed tests turn into repair work.
What does it mean for owners, tenants and investors?
For landowners, this file shows that an M-1 PD parcel can be cleared for truck repair and truck parking under a Section 15183 exemption rather than a full environmental document. The trade-off is a condition built into the description: repair work has to happen inside a building. Our guides to industrial zoning in Bakersfield and Kern County and the entitlement and CEQA process for industrial land explain how those steps work.
For buyers and tenants of yard sites, the site plan shows a well and septic system instead of city utilities, a retention basin for stormwater and landscaping requirements that take up land. Those items affect how much of a parcel can actually hold trucks.
Were any concerns raised?
No opposition, comment letters or news coverage of the project has been reported. Because the county relied on a Section 15183 exemption, there was no draft environmental document or public comment period of the kind larger industrial projects go through.
What happens next for PD 16, Map 140?
Next come building and grading permits and construction. No construction schedule has been published.
Under CEQA Guidelines Section 15062, filing a notice of exemption starts a 35-day period for legal challenges. Counted from the July 30 posting, that window ended about Sept. 3, 2026. No challenge has been reported.
Frequently asked questions
What is being built at 13130 BV Lake Court near Taft Highway?
DJ Trans Inc. plans a truck repair building of 5,600 square feet where all work happens indoors. The site also gets a 2,100-square-foot attached canopy and semi-truck parking. The parcel sits west of South Enos Lane on the south side of Taft Highway in unincorporated Kern County. CEQAnet lists it at 5.23 acres, while the project description says 5.33.
Who is DJ Trans Inc.?
DJ Trans Inc., also called DJ Transport, is a Bakersfield trucking company that hauls raw milk and other liquid dairy products. Its website says it was founded in 2018. A July 2024 federal filing lists 54 power units and 60 drivers, and the company already advertises its own repair work.
Did Kern County approve the Taft Highway truck repair facility?
Almost certainly. The county filed a notice of exemption naming its Planning and Natural Resources Department as the approving body and listing a July 16, 2026, hearing. Such notices are filed after a project is approved, though this one does not use the word “approved.” The State Clearinghouse posted it July 30, 2026.
Why didn’t the project need an environmental impact report?
The county found it consistent with the site’s industrial zoning, which an earlier environmental report already covered. CEQA Guidelines Section 15183 allows that shortcut, and any further review is limited to effects peculiar to the project or its site. The site is zoned M-1 PD with a Light Industrial general plan designation.
Is there a truck parking shortage in Kern County?
Statewide, yes: a Caltrans overview ranks California 48th nationally in truck parking per vehicle mile traveled. In Kern, the Planning Commission in November 2025 recommended dropping proposed non-agricultural trucking uses from agricultural zones. That pushes new fleet yards toward industrial land near I-5 and Highway 99.
What is industrial outdoor storage (IOS)?
IOS is land used mainly to park, store or stage trucks, trailers, equipment and materials, usually with a small building. A national brokerage reported in September 2025 that U.S. IOS rents rose 123% from 2020, outpacing bulk warehouses by more than two to one. Well-located sites stay scarce because of zoning.
Own industrial land near I-5 or Taft Highway, or looking for a truck yard or service shop in Kern County? Call Kern CRE at 855-KERN-CRE (855-537-6273) or contact us. Get Kern County CRE news monthly: subscribe to the Kern CRE report.
Sources
- PP26208, PLN24-00075 Precise Development Plan No. 16, Map 140 (Notice of Exemption, SCH 2026071204), CEQAnet (State Clearinghouse), July 30, 2026.
- Notice of Exemption and site plan, Precise Development Plan No. 16, Map 140, Kern County Planning and Natural Resources Department, filed July 29, 2026.
- Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 14, Section 15183: Projects Consistent with a Community Plan or Zoning, Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute.
- Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 14, Section 15062: Notice of Exemption, Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute.
- What is a Precise Development (PD) Plan? (FAQ), Kern County Planning and Natural Resources Department.
- Company Snapshot: DJ Trans Inc, USDOT 2513429, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (SAFER), MCS-150 dated July 31, 2024.
- DJ Trans Inc. company website, DJ Trans Inc.
- California State Route 119 (route description and junction list), Wikipedia.
- Love’s opens 16th California travel stop, Love’s Travel Stops, Aug. 20, 2024.
- California Statewide Truck Parking Study (study overview), Caltrans via San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, undated (circa 2021 to 2022).
- Jason’s Law Truck Parking Survey Results and Comparative Analysis: Executive Summary, Federal Highway Administration, 2015.
- FHWA reveals updated Jason’s Law truck parking survey, Land Line, Dec. 1, 2020.
- Kern County planning commission recommends Title 19 zoning updates but excludes non-ag truck parking in agricultural zones, CitizenPortal.ai, Nov. 14, 2025.
- Lots to Gain: Industrial Outdoor Storage is Outperforming Bulk Warehouse, Newmark, Sept. 8, 2025.
- Bakersfield Industrial MarketBeat, Q2 2026, Cushman & Wakefield, Q2 2026.
- Q2 2026 Bakersfield, CA Industrial Market Report, Lee & Associates, July 2026.
- Clean Truck Check Requirements for Vehicles Subject to Semi-Annual Compliance, California Air Resources Board.
- Conditional Use Permit Case No. 65, Map 100; and Zone Variance Case No. 40, Map 100 (Lynn Trucking, Notice of Determination), CEQAnet (State Clearinghouse), posted July 13, 2026.
- Gurdial Singh Travel Center Project by LAV Consulting and Engineering (MND, SCH 2026091259), CEQAnet (State Clearinghouse), received Sept. 30, 2026.
- San Joaquin Valley Sustainable Implementation Plan: Truck Routes and Parking Study, San Joaquin Valley Councils of Governments, February 2017.
About this article
Kern CRE prepared this article with help from AI research and writing tools. An editor reviewed the draft, checked its facts against the sources linked above and edited it for accuracy and clarity. Details come from public records and the sources cited; unless stated, Kern CRE and ASU Commercial were not involved in the transaction or project.