Vehicle trackout is the mud, sediment, and debris that gets carried off-site on tires and ends up on public roads. The goal of a trackout control Best Management Practice (BMP)—plain English: a "site-exit cleanup system"—is to reduce that carryout so you spend less time street-sweeping, reduce complaints, and stay aligned with your Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). FODS Trackout Control Mats are a reusable construction entrance system designed to remove sediment from tires without the ongoing material refreshes that come with traditional rock entrances.

Below is a fast way to confirm whether the FODS Trackout Control Mat matches your traffic and logistics. (If you're planning a full entrance lane, you'll typically combine multiple mats into a layout.)

Material-wise, FODS is built from durable HDPE (high-density polyethylene—plain English: a rugged plastic used in heavy-duty applications).

Rock entrances can work, but they often require ongoing refreshes—especially when traffic, rainfall, or soft subgrades cause rutting and stone migration. Reusable mats aim to reduce that churn by keeping the exit geometry stable and shifting the "maintenance" to periodic cleaning instead of re-building.

• Reusable system: one-time material investment, generally lower recurring material needs, and removal/repositioning as access points change.
• Rock entrance: typically one-time use per location, periodic top-offs, grading, and cleanup from displaced rock and sediment.

Most sites build an "exit lane" by connecting multiple mats. Common configurations range from 4–8 mats in a straight lane or "T" shape, depending on turning radius, traffic volume, and how much tire rotation you want before vehicles hit the road.

Here are a few layout examples used in the field (helpful as a starting point—final selection should match your SWPPP, site constraints, and traffic patterns).

Practical tip: If your exit involves a tight turn, choose a layout that preserves tire contact time while allowing the turn—otherwise vehicles may "shortcut" the system and carry debris to the roadway.

Install is typically straightforward and can often be done with hand tools. The goal is a stable, full-contact surface so mats don't rock, bridge gaps, or sit in pooled water.

Trackout control works best when you treat maintenance as a quick, routine task—similar to sweeping a shop floor. The good news: cleaning is typically simple and equipment-friendly.

Common cleaning options:

• Skid steer with broom attachment
• Street sweeper (with adjustable brush head)
• Manual clean-out using a narrow shovel tool designed to fit between pyramid tracks
• Pressure washing (when you can contain runoff)

Best practice: Schedule clean-outs after heavy rain, after "muddy phase" work, or whenever you start seeing visible carryout past the mat. If your SWPPP requires it, document the maintenance in your inspection logs.

On a project that saw both rainy and dry days, a contractor reported that using the FODS system cut the amount of street sweeping needed by roughly half. The team also noted a positive overall experience and said they would recommend the mats to other contractors.

Why that matters: Street sweeping can become a hidden cost—labor, equipment time, and schedule disruption. If a more consistent exit reduces sweeping frequency, it can pay back quickly, especially on longer projects.

These are the questions we hear most often when teams are deciding between a rock entrance refresh and a reusable mat system.

Ready to size your entrance layout? If you share your exit width, traffic type (pickups vs. tri-axle vs. lowboy), and whether vehicles must turn, we can point you to a common configuration and help you estimate the number of mats.