| Medium Duty Freight body building By Josh Smith, Assistant Editor What to focus on when spec’ing a pickup and delivery body Copious amounts of freight are hauled across the country on a daily basis using pickup and delivery (P&D) bodies. A lot of thought must be put into these boxes – also referred to as dry freight bodies – during the spec’ing process to be certain a fl eet is operating at peak effi ciency. The fi rst detail fl eets should focus on is the type of cargo being transported. “We start by asking a million whys,” explains Pete Gracia, executive director of strategic accounts at Morgan Corporation (www.MorganCorp.com) – a producer of truck and van bodies in North America for more than 60 years, specializing in Class 4 to Class 7 vehicles. “What are you hauling? How do you load? How do you unload?” Th e freight being hauled in the back of the truck also infl uences chassis needs, which must be determined before a P&D body is spec’d. “Th e body needs to have the correct chassis to handle the load/payload request from the customer,” says Natalie Beasley, marketing communications manager at Supreme Corporation (www. SupremeCorp.com) – a manufacturer of truck bodies and custom vehicle solutions for more than 40 years. Th e gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the chassis, coupled with the fl eet’s payload needs, will aff ect what body can be utilized. Additionally, fl eets need to make sure their drivers are comfortable and not straining to get in and out of whichever body is utilized. To ensure a driver – and ultimately the fl eet – is operating at the most effi cient levels, fl eets should consider the following aspects when selecting a dry freight body: • Body size. • Doors. • Lift gates and/or ramps. • Walls. • Roof. • Lighting. • Floors. • Safety and protection features. BODY SIZE Dry freight bodies come in all sizes, but many medium duty fl eets opt for bodies that are 26’ long and have a 103” inside height. Medium duty trucks used for pickup and delivery applications generally are 18’ to 28’ long, in two-foot increments. In most cases, medium trucks are off ered in outside widths of 96” and 102”, with the majority opting for 102” to maximize on the payload. Th e ranges of height on these bodies start at 85” and increase in six-inch increments for additional options of 91”, 97”, 103” and 109”. Th e reason that 109” is the highest height is because that translates into an outside height of the body – from the ground to the top of the roof In order to spec the proper pickup and delivery body, a fl eet needs to take a close look at the type of cargo its transporting and how that cargo is loaded and unloaded. Photo courtesy of Navistar – of 13’6”, Morgan’s Gracia says, noting it’s the legal limit for height. Although these are common dimensions, manufacturers can customize the body size to fi t a fl eet’s specifi c application. Th e body length is driven by the wheelbase of the chassis chosen by the customer, and other variables factor in as well. “Th e sizes are determined by the customers’ need, including how they load and door opening requirements. Chassis OEM guidelines also determine what size body will work for what chassis,” says Supreme’s Beasley. “Th e chassis will determine length, height and width.” She adds that the use of pallets requires a minimum body width and height, and fl eets that utilize forklift s for loading and unloading will need a minimum GVWR and door opening in addition to a reinforced fl oor. MANUFACTURERS can customize the body to fit a fleet’s specific application. Fleets have a number of decisions to make when spec’ing P&D bodies, including door styles, wall materials and the use of a translucent roof. Photo courtesy of Supreme Corporation 20 FLEET MAINTENANCE ❚ AUGUST 2016 ❚ VehicleServicePros.com
FleetMaintenance_August_2016
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