Service Bodies, also known as utility beds, truck beds or pickup flatbeds, are essentially mobile storage for equipment and tools that attaches to trucks. They not only provide massive amounts of storage, but make keeping things organized and accessible. This makes you as a business more efficient, not to mention, more professional looking. However, what makes features make a good service body and which brands are the best? This is what we’ll discuss.
Service Bodies and Trusted Brands
When choosing a brand for a service body, you may want to consider these things:
Steel Or Aluminum Pickup Bed?
Steel is stronger than aluminum, however, aluminum is lighter and doesn’t rust. In addition, think of what kinds of equipment and tools you’ll be storing in your utility beds. Do you need a stronger frame for heavy duty work, or is the cargo be lighter?
Open Or Enclosed Utility Truck Beds?
Are you carrying things in your truck flatbed that need to be covered from the outdoor elements? Then you want to go enclosed. If you have large or awkward shaped equipment, you may decide going with a open design is better.
Size & Weight of Service Bed
If you are buying the service body, and important thing to consider the most is the size and weight. All pickup trucks have “payload” capacity and GWVR that can’t be exceeded. With this in mind, you may need to opt for a lighter aluminum frame to get the storage you need rather than a steel flatbed with less cabinet space.
Accessories for Service Bodies
Things like storage space, locking cabinets, lights, hitches, equipment racks, side rails, and more maybe important based on the work you do with your service body pickup truck. Make sure you keep these desired upgrades in mind with your budget.
Aluma Truck Beds
Made from aluminum, Aluma Truck Beds are simple, effective and lightweight options for a pickup flatbed.
Standard Features:
- Extrude aluminum floor with drop rear skirt
- ½”x2” Rub rail with stake pockets
- Headache rack with sealed beam lights
- 3” channel main stringers adjustable to fit different models of trucks
- Recessed sealed beam lights 4 taillights; 11 clearance lights/2backup lights
- License plate light
- Re-wired and lights installed.
Some additional upgrades available for these are the Gooseneck Hitch Opening with removable door, Sides Racks and Tailgate, Mudflap Bracket set.
Bradford Built Work Beds
If you want the option of either steel or aluminum for your service body truck, that’s is simple and made for endurance then Bradford Built is your brand! Base models come with an extensive list of features like LED lights all around, mudflaps, and wiring harness.
Standard Features:
- 4” Flip Down Rails Extended Skirt
- Gooseneck and Receiver Hitches
- Formed Headache Rack
- Stake Pockets
In addition, you can add crossbody toolboxes and underbody toolboxes. Internal storage comes standard on the 4-Box and Regulator models.
CM Truck Beds
From plain flatbeds to fully decked out service bodies, CM Truck Beds has made a name for itself as both a diverse and established brand. To keep the comparisons fair, we’ll only list features found on the flatbed models.
Standard Features:
- Headache Rack
- 4” Frame Rails
- Gooseneck & Bumper Pull Hitches
- 7 Pin Trailer Wiring for GN and BP
- Lockable Toolboxes (Optional on Aluminum Models)
- Tiedowns / Attachment Rings (Steel Models Only)
There are unlimited customizations beyond these and if you are interested, we encourage you to check out CM’s website.
Cadet Truck Bodies
Just like CM, Cadet Truck Bodies has a wide variety of service bodies and flatbeds for any job. One unique thing about this brand is that they use a Polyurethane Wet Paint instead of a powder coat that most competitors use. This coating on their products touted to keep the metal protected longer from rust and corrosion.
Standard Features:
- Stake Bodies
- Skirted Bodies
- Gooseneck Hitches
- E.D. Lighting (Cadet Models Only)
- Toolboxes (Aztec & Laredo Models)
Zimmerman Trailers & Truck Bodies
The Zimmerman Trailers brand shines when it comes to well-rounded aluminum service bodies with storage. Different models come standard with many features depending on the task at hand. However, we listed what all models have in common below.
Standard Features:
- Aluminum Build
- Beds with Front/Rear Box Storage
- Sides and Tail Boards
- Mud Flaps
For a list of more features and specific service body models, check out Zimmerman Trailers website!
What to find out more on quality brands that make service bodies? Country Blacksmith Trailers can answer your questions! We sell new and used flatbeds from brands like Aluma, Bradford Built, Cadet, Stellar, CM, Zimmerman, and more! We can also make custom utility truck beds, built to your specifications. Contact us today for an inventory check or quote.