A great pickup truck can be the best companion at work. But if you’re in a field such as agriculture, towing, or construction, there are some jobs that an everyday pickup truck just can’t handle. If you’re looking for a way to up the ante and use your pickup truck as a heavy-duty work truck, we recommend converting your truck to a flatbed pickup. Pickup flatbeds can make carrying oversized loads or awkwardly shaped items a breeze, and with how much more they can handle, they can dramatically cut down the number of trips it takes to finish hauling a load. They’re also easier to clean and easier to load than a traditional pickup bed. Here at Country Blacksmith Trailers, we’ve got everything you need to get the job done. We’ve come up with a few things you need to know in order to choose the perfect pickup flatbed and get your truck ready for heavy-duty work in no time.
Identify the size you need
The first step in your search for a pickup flatbed is to know what size flatbed you’re looking for. Though we carry pickup flatbeds in every size, we’ve broken our search features down into the most important identifiers: dual vs. single wheel, and shortbed vs. longbed. For example, you can search for a 7 foot single wheel shortbed or an 8.6 dual wheel longbed, as well as every variation in between.
Decide on aluminum vs. steel
Pickup flatbeds are made out of one of two materials: aluminum or steel. There are pros and cons to both types, so it’s best to decide ahead what’s important to you. Typically, steel is more low maintenance and can give you greater hauling power, but aluminum is lighter and less expensive. If your priority is to keep things lightweight, you may want to go aluminum. We stock Aluma Trailers aluminum flatbeds which rival steel in terms of load capacity. Bradford Built is one of the most popular brands we carry, and we also sell Zimmerman, CM, Cadet, and Knapheide, which all provide a variety of aluminum and steel.
Know what kind of hitch you need
Depending on the kind of work you’ll be doing, you may want to look at a flatbed with a gooseneck hitch, which uses a ball and coupler in the center of the bed. This is helpful if you also plan on towing in addition to hauling. You can also buy beds with straight or tapered corners – the tapered corners allow you to have a better turn radius if you’re using that gooseneck hitch, so keep that in mind if you decide on a gooseneck hitch.
Figure out the extra features
Once you’ve decided on the big things such as the size, construction material, and the type of hitch, there are plenty of extra features you can get to dress things up as little or as much as you’d like depending on your needs and price range. Headache racks can be simple and straightforward, or they can be lighted or tapered. We also have service bodies with custom toolboxes built-in, some of which are complete with flat siding so that you can add decals to brand your truck for your business. You can also add on things like tie downs, ball hitches, and tongue toolboxes when you purchase a Country Blacksmith Trailers pickup flatbed. The options are endless and we stock a pickup flatbed for every need.
Find an expert to complete the installation
This is where you need to be picky and where we can make things extremely easy. When you purchase a pickup flatbed with us, our experts will install it while you wait. Our staff is experienced in installing aftermarket bodies on pickup trucks and we will take great care of your truck and ensure the flatbed is installed correctly.
We offer a courtesy car for your use on the day we install the truck bed. We can typically install your new truckbed in one day and install price is generally $785.
There are a lot of things to consider when you’re wondering how to choose a pickup flatbed, but our online search makes it easy and our in-person staff can match you to the perfect flatbed for you. We’ll have you back on the job, hauling and towing like never before when you convert your pickup into a flatbed work truck with us!