A truck upfit professional landscapers can’t do without
Landscapers and mechanics share a commonality when it comes to the work trucks they depend upon at a jobsite: they must have the tools and parts onboard to do the tasks at hand.
That’s why regular pickups and cab-chassis models equipped with service bodies play such an important role in the field for those in the landscaping and construction trades.
A service-body-equipped truck, be it a dedicated model or a slide-in-bed variety, that is expertly setup functions like a scaled-down version of one’s shop: The right tools, parts, air and electrical power are there to make sure the job goes as smoothly and quickly as possible given the conditions and setting.
Field service and repair is an essential part of a majority of those who work in the outdoor trades.
It could be anything from a landscaper laying an in-ground sprinkler system to a bridge builder doing some last-minute finishing work to a contractor replacing bucket teeth to a mechanic fixing an engine.
Whatever the job, having a pickup with a service body equipped to meet the need is a great benefit to any company.
A number of service body manufacturers have a jump on the market with models spec’d to fit the 2015 pickups and cab-chassis platforms including the new Ford F-150s and Super Duties, GM’s mid-size Colorado/Canyons and Chevrolet/GMC full-size pickups, and Ram Trucks ½-tons and HDs.
If you don’t have a local up fitter to set you up your 2015 pickup/cab-chassis with a service body, or are looking for options to customize an older work truck to improve your landscaping company’s productivity, here’re a few of the newest service bodies – and service body/dump combos – deigned to get that job done.
2015 Service Body Showcase
CM Truck Beds The TM Truck Bed from CM has 4″ steel channel frame rails, 3″ steel roll-formed 3/16″ channel crossmembers, and a steel tubing headache rack with round “easy view” window grill. This model is equipped with a 1/8” steel tread plate deck – 48” wide (53” on 97” wide models), a full length side skirt with rolled fenders and aluminum tread plate trim, and a solid one piece rear skirt.
It also features an angled fuel fill, rear bed corners tapered for turning radius, rear bumper with aluminum tread plate trim, and a full access receiver mount. The TM comes standard with a 7- way round and 4-way flat plug standard on rear tailboard receptical for 7 way round trailer plug standard in gooseneck box. It’s also tow-ready with 14.5K B&W drop hitch and 25K B&W gooseneck hitch with removable box cover.
Alum-Line The Alum-Line Contractor Component Aluminum Truck Bodies combine the advantages of both a service body and a platform body. Aluma-Line custom configures their truck bodies to fit whatever vehicle the customer specifies and in the configuration desired. This results in a light, strong platform with the flexibility of all types of aluminum storage boxes.
All are built using extruded .125 aircraft-grade aluminum. The bodies are designed to withstand offroad use using a 3” I-beam floor frame on 12” centers. Recessed doors are sealed with double gaskets, and all doors include reinforcement posts with stainless steel double-catch paddle latches. Bodies also include heavy-duty hinges and fold-down endgates with spring-load latches. Five (5) year workmanship and 10-year material warranty. Lengths up to 20’.
FleetWest The new Fleetwest Load’N’Go ST2000 fits into pickup beds and features twin rear barn doors. The transferable unit is lightweight enough to be installed on a ½ ton pickup truck.
It incorporates the same high quality standards built into all of the Load’N’Go’s including powder-coated 16-gauge steel construction, a heavy-duty floor with spray on load liner, double locking side doors, two 150-pound-capacity adjustable shelves, pneumatic door assist shocks, and forklift tunnels for easy mounting and removal. This model is available in both an 8- and 6 ½-foot versions. The ST2000 fits 2015 Ford, Chevy & Dodge standard and long bed pickup trucks.
In addition, Fleetwest’s new Durashell 170 is a fiberglass service body with 170 cu.-ft of storage capacity in a low-profile design that can be upfit with a Prime Design drop down ladder rack and still be driven into most parking garages. The Durashell 170 fits all 2015 Ford, Chevy and Dodge standard and long bed pickups.
This universal-fit slide-in truck body uses a four corner mounting system requiring no holes be drilled in the truck and it can be moved from truck to truck in a matter of minutes. Standard equipment includes stainless steel hardware, interior lighting, a third brake light, laminated interior mounting frames for cabinets, shelves or hooks and a white gel coat finish. Contractor upfit packages are available upon request.
Knapheide The Knapheide Stylized Service body (KSS) possesses all the same traits as your truck cab, contoured lines, triple contact door seals, concealed door hinges and wrap around lights, and with a removable tailgate it feels like a normal truck bed while offering the benefits of a service body. The Knapheid KSS base model comes with six storage compartments, integrated wiring harness and basic lighting.
Options abound such as flip-top storage compartments, ladder rack, multiple rear bumpers and towing setups, and a telescoping sliding roof over the open center section. The KSS comes in many different lengths to fit the newest pickups. There’s also a new fiberglass service body to fit the 2015 Colorado/Canyon. Warranty is six years.
Those who are getting one-ton or bigger cab-chassis duallies to transfer mulch, dirt, or sand with a dump bed need to check out Knapheide’s Landscaper Bodies. These heavy-duty steel dump beds come in multiple configurations with metering gates and a 50″ wide side access door that opens to a full 180-degrees to handle pallets of sod.
No matter if you need to haul or dump, the landscaper body can do it all. Add on some external secure storage with the Landscaper Storage Packs or under body roughneck toolboxes.
Reading The Reading Marauder SL dump body was designed to provide the most economical means to maximize payload and increase fuel efficiency for lanscapers. The heavy-duty understructure, rugged steel floor and sidewall construction and high-capacity hoist gives a tough, durable and reliable dump body. It is available in 9’ and 11’ lengths.
The dump body receives a 12-stage emersion prime process and durable abrasion resistant polyester powder coat finish. It’s backed by Reading’s three-year limited warranty on body and hoist.
TruckCraft TruckCraft’s new Lancer for singe-rear-wheel, longbed, box-delete trucks is a green-focused all-aluminum service body. It’s light and strong. The deck floor and understructure are made of custom-designed 6061 T6 alloy extrusion with tensile strength equivalent to steel. The body weighs in at only 640 pounds, about what a typical pickup box weighs.
The Lancer features powder-coated cabinet doors, a paddle latch tailgate handle, stainless hardware, 1/8” diamondtread cabinet tops, adjustable cabinet shelving. built-in tie downs, gas springs on vertical doors, oval LED lights with factory wiring harness and D-bulb style door weather seal, all covered by a 5- year factory warranty. Mounting hardware is included for standard pickup mounting. The Lancer has numerous options available.
TruckCraft’s TC200 aluminum Combination Service/Dump Bodies for both box-delete pickups and duallies with 56- or 60-inch cab-to-axle chassis. It combines the 7,000-pound capacity TC-121 dump insert and TC’s aluminum storage box kit, made with premium components. The TruckCraft TC-200 allows landscapers to be more productive by providing two bodies on one truck.
Editor’s Note: Bruce Smith is a Senior Editor at Randall-Reilly
Landscapers use a variety of attachments for doing everything from snow removal to jobsite cleanup, and regardless of how often they are used, every landscaper has a favorite attachment.
