WordPress Setup for Contributor-Based Truck Repair Content Platform (HeavyDutyJournal.com)

Hello,
I'm looking to set up a WordPress website for HeavyDutyJournal.com, a contributor-based content platform focused on the truck repair, fleet maintenance, and diesel tech industries. The site will allow users to register, submit articles under various categories, and have all content reviewed and approved by an admin before publishing. I’d like it built using a lightweight, modern WordPress theme such as Blocksy (preferred), with a clean, content-first layout. Design-wise, it should reflect an industrial yet professional feel — using navy blue, slate gray, and diesel yellow/orange for the color scheme, along with modern sans-serif fonts like Open Sans, Poppins, or Quicksand.

Core functionality includes:
Front-end article submission with admin moderation


User registration with “Contributor” and “Admin” roles


Contributors can only edit their own articles (drafts or published), and any edits to published content must go through re-approval before going live


Contributors should not be able to delete published articles


A contributor dashboard/profile page that displays their published posts and submission statuses in a clean, user-friendly layout


Structured article layouts with:


Featured images


Author bios


Predefined category selection


Tags


Social sharing buttons


Embedded media (e.g., YouTube video URLs)


Optional: file attachments like PDFs or images (not critical at launch)



Author Pages:
Contributor author pages should include:
Bio


Profile image


Optional links (e.g., LinkedIn, personal site, shop page)



Email notifications should be triggered for:
New user registration (to admin and user)


Article submission confirmations


Article approval or rejection


(Optional) Comment reply notifications (if using wpDiscuz or similar)



Homepage:
I’d prefer a curated homepage rather than a chronological blog roll. Ideally it would include:
Featured articles or editor’s picks


Trending posts


Category spotlights (e.g., Diesel Diagnostics, Shop Tips, Fleet Management)



Newsletter / Lead Capture:
At this stage, a basic email opt-in form should be included (in the header, footer, or sidebar), integrated with a provider like Mailchimp or ConvertKit — or set up so I can easily connect it later.

I'll be handling:
All interim content, initial articles, and policy pages. My main focus is on ensuring the site’s structure, contributor workflow, and core functionality are fully optimized. Once the foundation is in place, I’ll manage content population and contributor onboarding.

Key plugins I’m expecting to use:
WP User Frontend Pro (or similar)


Rank Math SEO


Elementor Pro or Gutenberg + Kadence Blocks


wpDiscuz (or Thrive Comments)


Wordfence, UpdraftPlus, and ShortPixel Image Optimizer



Pages to include:
Homepage


About


Contact


Privacy Policy (I have pre-written, styled HTML ready to provide)


Terms of Use (also ready to provide)


“Write for Us” / Contributor Guidelines


Once we agree to proceed, I’ll share the full list of main and sub-categories for article submissions, along with visual mockups and content as needed.

Timeline:
Ideally, I’d like to launch within 1–5 weeks, but I’m flexible depending on your availability and the complexity involved. The site should be built with future scalability and monetization in mind (ads, affiliates, email growth).

Please let me know if you need anything else to provide an accurate quote. I’m happy to review your portfolio or similar past projects.