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Truck service bed

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m16ty

Hot Rolled
Joined
May 11, 2016
We are in the market for another truck with service body on it to use in our machinery moving business. Our current service truck is a '06 Chevy Duramax 3500 with a Knapheide service bed. It's starting to get a little age on it and we are getting to where we need two service trucks.

I think we are going to go with another Chevy 3500 Duramax but I'm looking at bed options. We've been satisfied with the current Knapheide bed, It's had a few problems but it's loaded heavy and has been used a lot. I was just wondering if anybody had experience with other beds and setups they liked.

Our current load is a pretty complete assortment of hand tools, big assortment of shackles from 4 ton to 17 ton, eye bolts, lots of steel chokers, synthetic slings of various lengths, 2 sets of 25K chain spreaders, lifting chains, wood blocking, two sets of skates, pinch bars, hammer drill, 3/8 and 1/2 cordless impacts, spare propane tank, ladder, jacks, come-a-long, and other stuff that I'm sure I've missed. All that pretty much covers all our day to day lifting. We have bigger and more rigging but just throw it in the back as needed. As you can see, just about all these items are fairly heavy and more of a load than the average service truck.
 
I have had a couple of service trucks an F350 and International 4700, both with cranes. The service bodies all seem to be kind of light weight regardless of size. For heavier items perhaps a flat bed with perimeter boxes would be a better option? You could hang boxes under and sit boxes on top to equal a service body storage or more with more sturdy boxes. I have seen several flat beds with boxes that drop into stake pocket mounts for even more flexibility.

Steve
 
Years ago, we used to run flatbeds with boxes. When we bought the current truck, it already had a service body on it at the dealer's lot so we got it. Man, we didn't know what we were missing. A service body is much more user friendly, boxes are much bigger, much more weatherproof storeage, and you can access most stuff without climbing onto the bed. We don't plan on going back to the flatbed.

We've also got another debate going on, gas or diesel. The current truck is a Duramax and has been trouble free for the most part but I'm not really happy with the new diesels (too much emissions BS). You try to find some real world mileage numbers but it's all over the board. I do know a diesel is a $8k upcharge and when you figure that diesel is more expensive at the pump, the mileage difference is going to have to be a big difference to come out ahead. Of course you'll get some of that money back come resale time. I think I'd be satisfied with the gas if it had the needed power.
 
Back when I did rigging, my service truck was an F-550 flatbed diesel with a hydraulic boom lift. Pretty much no one else would touch the thing because they couldn't work the hydraulics and the lift scared the pants off of them. It had 5 speeds - regular, low, lower, are you kidding?, and bulldozer. The suspension about consisted of two railroad tracks run between the axles, so you got a nice flat ride, whether you wanted it or not. The storage consisted of three job boxes welded to the flat bed behind the cab, it could hold a considerable amount of heavy gear, and I could strap at least 7 tons more back there before the thing slowed down noticeably. They ended up buying the other pansies a 450 with one of those service boxes on it, and it did seem rather flimsy. I would ask the local power company where they get their trucks, they always seem quite nicely appointed.
 
It's always a compromise between sneaking by with a 350 style
pickup truck and a "big rig".

Sneaking by and leaving tools home (not to overload the truck).

Or rolling down the road with everything needed (and not needed
that day) and paying high license fees (and maybe getting into
CDL licensing for your employees.

On the toolbox side, I removed a toolbox to convert a truck
(97 gmc 3500 hd) and they are kinda flimsy, for very heavy tools.

I didn't see a maker name, but most I see seem to rust out before the truck.


The industry has much room for improvement, a new manuf could come in and change the game.

EDIT: Here is one my friend (pipeline welder) just bought
when down there working, it looks very nice, and all aluminum.
Home >> JOMAC
He priced the big names (stahl, crysteel, etc.) and this was
very competitive.
 
Our service truck at work is a f550 with a Maintaneer brand service body on it, the service body is of a much heavier construction than a knapheide box, hope this helps.
 
m16ty said:
Years ago, we used to run flatbeds with boxes. When we bought the current truck, it already had a service body on it at the dealer's lot so we got it. Man, we didn't know what we were missing. A service body is much more user friendly, boxes are much bigger, much more weatherproof storeage, and you can access most stuff without climbing onto the bed. We don't plan on going back to the flatbed.

We've also got another debate going on, gas or diesel. The current truck is a Duramax and has been trouble free for the most part but I'm not really happy with the new diesels (too much emissions BS). You try to find some real world mileage numbers but it's all over the board. I do know a diesel is a $8k upcharge and when you figure that diesel is more expensive at the pump, the mileage difference is going to have to be a big difference to come out ahead. Of course you'll get some of that money back come resale time. I think I'd be satisfied with the gas if it had the needed power.
Click to expand...

I run a 2012 F350 Dully with a utility box about 600 miles/week. Truck has 6.7 liter engine, loaded about 10K lbs.

I get 17-18 MPG in summer and 15-16 MPG in winter. Runs very quiet for a diesel and no major issues at 170K miles.

Utility body is a Knaphide, rusting fairly heavy in spots already, other than that OK. Bed has power lock system which is a huge time saver.
 
Utility boxes can be great, but after having the Peterbilt 335 box truck, my opinion is if you need a truck heavier than 3/4 ton a 26k gvw truck is eons more friendly to 500k miles and air brakes beat any hydraulic I have driven loaded. That said , I have same dilemma on a truck easier to park than my ton dually and gas is an option for me too. We are thinking a gooseneck body for one of ours that has some storage but also some flatbed features. Not sure if you gooseneck with it or not but that's the biggest downfall to a utility box.
 
We don't really have a need to bigger than a 1-ton truck. We use a 4 door service truck and it also serves as getting the crew to the job. On almost all the jobs we have a tractor/trailer going also so we can also throw some extra stuff on there if needed.

Our current truck is a '06 and it hasn't showed any rust issues. It does stay parked under a shed when not in use.
 
m16ty said:
We are in the market for another truck with service body on it to use in our machinery moving business. Our current service truck is a '06 Chevy Duramax 3500 with a Knapheide service bed. It's starting to get a little age on it and we are getting to where we need two service trucks.

I think we are going to go with another Chevy 3500 Duramax but I'm looking at bed options. We've been satisfied with the current Knapheide bed, It's had a few problems but it's loaded heavy and has been used a lot. I was just wondering if anybody had experience with other beds and setups they liked.

Our current load is a pretty complete assortment of hand tools, big assortment of shackles from 4 ton to 17 ton, eye bolts, lots of steel chokers, synthetic slings of various lengths, 2 sets of 25K chain spreaders, lifting chains, wood blocking, two sets of skates, pinch bars, hammer drill, 3/8 and 1/2 cordless impacts, spare propane tank, ladder, jacks, come-a-long, and other stuff that I'm sure I've missed. All that pretty much covers all our day to day lifting. We have bigger and more rigging but just throw it in the back as needed. As you can see, just about all these items are fairly heavy and more of a load than the average service truck.
Click to expand...

Check with Bachmann Chevrolet of Louisville. They currently have a lot full. A friend delivers 2 to 4 trucks a week for them within 400 miles every week. And no I dont get a commission and I drive Ford products.
 
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