Bucket truck bodies play a key role in the work that utility and telecommunications crews perform. There are safety considerations, efficiency goals and operational conditions that each play a role in choosing the right truck body. Versalift aerial lifts provide a lower true cost of ownership through smarter and more reliable design. Versalift equipment designs incorporate a lightweight advantage, which enables greater overall payload. Lightweight truck bodies serve to enhance the lightweight advantages that Versalift equipment offers.
Truck Body Choices
In selecting a truck body for ongoing heavy use in a municipal, utility or telecommunications fleet, some fleet managers are prioritizing a lighter weight choice. Weather conditions and the availability of materials also play a role in the truck body selection process. While steel is the most common material used for utility truck bodies, aluminum is also a common choice made by fleet managers. Still, fiberglass truck bodies are higher-performing in several key areas. Fiberglass truck bodies have the advantages of strength, clean appearance, durability and fuel economy. Below we take a look at some advantages and limitations of fiberglass, steel and aluminum as truck body materials.
Fiberglass Truck Bodies are valuable to administrators because they support both operational efficiency and fleet efficiency goals. Lighter equipment helps utility and service fleets avoid any overweight penalties, and in some cases, allows for a smaller chassis. Fleet managers often prefer that their vehicles stay under GVWR requirements needed for a CDL. When compared with steel truck bodies, fiberglass truck bodies offer a clear payload advantage. The ability to transfer a lightweight, durable truck body onto a similarly-sized chassis is another way in which fiberglass truck bodies create value.
Steel Truck Bodies are often selected because they represent a lower initial cost for telecommunications, utility or service fleets. Steel is known for its strength, and yet in some conditions, like colder, wetter areas, steel truck bodies can corrode, dent and scratch easily. Where roads are salted in winter, they have persistent rust issues. As a conductive material, steel can also be a disadvantage in several extreme weather conditions.
Aluminum Truck Bodies are lightweight, sufficiently strong and are effective at resisting both corrosion and rust. With their perks, aluminum truck bodies have their drawbacks. Unless they are reinforced, aluminum truck bodies lack the durability of steel and fiberglass truck bodies. Aluminum truck bodies require specialized treatment and tools to repair and maintain, and they can be significantly more expensive for fleets to purchase. While aluminum truck bodies offer a lightweight advantage, they are expensive to purchase and to maintain.
Truck Body Lightweighting Adds To The Bottom Line
Lightweight truck bodies enable fleets to use less gas and typically incur lower costs of maintenance than truck bodies made from steel. With shorter stopping distances and with greater payload capacity, lightweight truck bodies reduce fuel consumption. Fiberglass truck bodies allow fleets to downsize the weight of their equipment with minimal impact on payload. That means thousands of dollars in bottom line life cycle savings per fleet unit. Data suggests that by taking advantage of truck rightsizing and lightweight materials, fleets can accomplish their lightweighting goals. The use of lightweight, long-lasting truck bodies results in lower emissions and lower overall unit maintenance costs.
BrandFX Truck Bodies – A Lightweight Solution
BrandFX offers fleets a lightweight solution to issues surrounding fuel efficiency, safety and repair of wear and tear. In addition to being fuel efficient, BrandFX fiberglass truck bodies require virtually no repairs, as they do not dent, corrode or scratch. With rounded edges, operators avoid work site injuries when working close to the truck. The UtilityFX™ and UltimateFX™ truck bodies are examples of why BrandFX is the lifecycle value leader:
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UtilityFX™ All-Composite Cutaway Truck Bodies are the first all-composite cutaway truck bodies available to commercial fleets in the United States. UtilityFX™ feature spacious and well-ventilated cabins and generous outer storage compartments. The highly durable and lightweight UtilityFX™ cutaways create lasting value for service fleets across North America.
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UltimateFX™ Truck Bodies are the first and only all-composite body and understructure combination available for the North American work truck market. Beyond their lightweight advantages, UltimateFX™ truck bodies create value for fleet customers with a lifetime guarantee of zero corrosion and zero oxidation.
