Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/821508
74 commercial carrier journal | may 2017 Upfit options abound to prep vans, trucks for jobsites BY JASON CANNON P ickups and vans are more than modes of transportation. On the jobsite, they are every- thing from mobile offices to toolboxes and workbenches. Shelving systems, storage compart- ments, ladder racks and a variety of other upfits all serve a function in mak- ing working trucks worksite-ready. Over the last 12 months, aermarket suppliers and OEMs have launched a range of options designed to make work trucks work smarter, not harder. Pickups CM Truck Beds recently debuted a service body lineup that's available in steel or aluminum and in several sizes and configurations. Joe Lewis, CM Truck Beds president, says key features include an immersive powder-coat on every component for long-lasting wear and an enduring finish; premium gas shocks supporting reinforced cabinet doors for maximum strength; stainless-steel hardware for security; and bolted, modular construc- tion for configurability and serviceabil- ity in the years ahead. Composite Truck Body's 100-Series cab-level aluminum capsule offers simi- lar storage capacity to a steel version but at a significant weight savings. Dan O'Connell, the company's vice president, says the unit offers the ca- pabilities of a van but at the lower cost of ownership of a pickup, including a mpg boost. e 100-Series truck body, the prod- uct of a joint venture with Fleetwest, has been designed to increase access to tools and parts – an idea O'Connell says stems from taking a fiberglass body and turning it into a fleet's toolbox. e unit's slide-out cargo beds double as work- benches, and a gutter system prevents water from dripping onto the slides. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, every 100 pounds of reduced vehicle weight can lead to a 1 percent reduction in fuel consump- tion, and fiberglass composites aren't the most fuel-friendly bodies on the market. Aluminum bodies, however, weigh Morgan Corp.'s ProScapeVan truck body offers an easy-to-deploy corrosion-resistant aluminum ramp with a 2,500-pound capacity.