Building work trucks

Building work trucks

When it comes to choosing the best work truck for the application, fleets have many options.

When it comes to light- and medium-duty work trucks, every fleet’s needs are different. Luckily, the options and customizable features available on today’s models offer enough variety to meet the requirements for any demanding job.

When spec’ing a work truck body, fleets need to start from the ground up, weighing options for everything from chassis strength and configuration to bumpers and mirrors. We asked representatives from several truck makers to weigh in on the basics of spec’ing and purchasing Class 3 to 5 work trucks. Their guidelines provide a good starting point, while a truck dealer can help with final customization.

Frame rail features
When comparing work trucks, it’s important to consider the loads that will be carried in a particular application, and compare options for rail chassis strength and placement.

According to Adrian Ratza, marketing manager for Hino Trucks, the two main components to chassis rail strength are yield strength and resisting bending moment. “Yield strength (measured in PSI) gauges the overall capacity that a frame can withstand before the frame will give way, while resisting bending moment (measured in in.-lbs.) gauges the maximum single impact the frame can withstand without giving way,” he says. “The higher the rating the frame has in these two dimensions, the better.”

Ratza adds that chassis rail strength and yield strength, along with the placement of the cross members, “will determine how much of a payload a work truck will be able to handle without compromising the integrity of a frame.”

Gordie Taylor, commercial product manager for Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. (FCCC), explains, “A continuous frame rail gives you better frame strength, which reduces body flex and stress. A symmetrical straight rail, front to rear, is also easier to build on. Having a clean top-of-rail, with nothing above the top of the frame rail, is also important for the body builder.”

Having an outside frame width that approximates the industry-standard 34 in. facilitates simple and efficient application of rear bodies in terms of materials, time and cost, according to Joshua Tregear, manager of marketing communications for Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America Inc.

“Fleet managers and even single truck operators rely on equipment suppliers and body builders to provide required frame specifications for their mounted equipment,” he notes. “Each should confirm with their suppliers that a chassis-cab frame is properly matched and reinforced as necessary for mounted equipment.”

Tregear adds that frame capacity is described by material yield strength and elastic section modulus. “While yield strength is generally constant for a given ladder type frame using a common material throughout, section modulus will vary with frame dimensions and shape,” he explains. “Likewise, since resisting bending moment (RBM) is a product of frame yield strength and section modulus, it also varies as the frame cross-section shape changes.”

Body options
In addition to selecting a chassis that’s ideal for a particular application, fleets need to consider body options that are best suited to meet their unique needs.

“Several sectors on the truck’s exterior are very important to a fleet owner,” says Rich Tremmel, director of sales for Morgan Olson, which works closely with FCCC on body building. “The front and rear bumpers need to be made of steel to hold up to daily usage and potential abuse. The rear bumper’s stepping surface is always requested to be made of an aggressive tread in order to be safe to walk on. Many fleets prefer bodies made of durable aluminum.”

According to Taylor, FCCC offers provisions for rear ramps and drop-down tailgates. “Our walk-in vans also offer easy curbside access, so drivers can exit the vehicle without stepping into traffic,” he adds.

Mitsubishi Fuso’s Tregear advises that while all mirrors must meet FMVSS 111 requirements for square area, mounting and adjustability, ease of adjustment is critical for proper use by operators. “All Fuso Canter models include standard equipment flat/convex combination mirrors for body widths up to 96 in.,” he says. “Heated mirrors are optional, as are wider mirror arms for body outside widths up to 102 in.”

Other user-friendly features of Canter FE models, according to Tregear, include: 33.5-in. outside frame width for simple installation of new and takeoff bodies; flat frame rails to simplify rear body installation; a pre-wired rear body dome light connection; 50×40 mm. grid-patterned frame webs for pre-punched equipment mounting points; a factory rear or side fuel tank for optimal location based upon equipment needs (all E-, G-, H- and K-wheelbase Canter FE models); a programmable control module for incandescent or LED-type combination lamps; and a standard equipment PTO opening and drive gear in all Canter transmissions.

Seconding the importance of mirror placement, Hino’s Ratza advises, “While Class 3-5 trucks don’t have the blind spots a Class 8 has, they still have larger blind spots than the average consumer vehicle. Fleet managers need to make sure they are taking every safety precaution and also keep in mind driver comfort. Less safety incidents mean less downtime and more workforce productivity.”

He adds that Hino offers an optional Clean CA feature, “which is a great benefit to body builders in that they will not have any chassis components interfering with the installation of the body.”

According to Dan Barile, product and technology communications specialist for Mercedes-Benz USA, “Sprinters are known for being upfitter-friendly.”

He adds, ”Design features such as near-vertical walls ease installation of shelving. The Sprinter also has 270-degree opening rear doors, best-in-class stand-up height, side-door opening, lowest step-in height, cargo capacity (547 cu. ft.) and payload.”

Barile notes the company also offers fully-multiplexed electronics, which means thinner wiring and simple programming of the vehicle’s Parametric Special Module (PSM), rather than having to cut/splice wires.

Other considerations
When selecting a Class 3 to 5 work truck, there is still more to consider—including fuel economy and alternative-fueled vehicles, driver comfort, total lifecycle cost and warranty coverage, among other options.

“A highlight for Sprinter is the frugal V6 diesel engine, which can achieve up to 24.9 MPG on the highway,” Barile says, adding that another factor is driver comfort and alertness. “Sprinters have large windows for easy visibility, bypass vents that circulate fresh air into the cabin, and clear access to the cargo area from the front seats.”

FCCC’s Taylor relates that fuel economy, vehicle usage, environment and life cycle are key considerations. “Chassis specs also need to figure in whether a fleet’s needs require multiple air conditioner compressors, alternator output, or more horsepower or torque based on the load needs and the terrain,” he adds.

Hino’s Ratza urges truck buyers to look beyond the purchase price to the total cost of ownership. “With differences between every manufacturer in warranty, fuel mileage, oil change intervals, etc., it is vital that fleet managers educate themselves on this and take all into account,” he says. “Also, just because a truck is considered ‘green’ doesn’t necessarily mean this vehicle is the right choice for every fleet. Operating conditions vary for every fleet, and not every alternative fuel vehicle fits every application. Fleet managers need to understand their operating cycles and how alternative fuels will perform in these cycles.”

When considering warranties, Mitsubishi Fuso’s Tregear advises fleets to consider chassis and cab warranty coverage—basic, corrosion and powertrain, and both equipment coverage and terms for each. Treager also recommends considering gross combination weight rating (GCWR) for applications with towed equipment.  


Work truck customization & maintenance
According to Tim Thrash, sales manager for Jarco Inc., a Polar company that builds propane bobtails for propane distribution fleets, there are two things not to overlook when purchasing or spec’ing work trucks, and they go hand in hand.

“First, it’s easy to look at a Class 5 vehicle and say, ‘It’s half the size and therefore should be half the price.’ The fleet managers I know who run mini-bobtails aren’t running the trucks to do half a job. They’re running smaller bobtails because, for how they’re used, they pull their weight in terms of customer satisfaction, reliability and profitability.

“Second, I encourage fleet managers to focus on the total lifecycle cost of the vehicle,” he says. “Over time, the least expensive truck may actually cost more to operate compared to a truck that costs more at the outset but is more reliable or better suited to the task at hand. If you need help calculating total lifecycle cost, talk to both your dealer and your body supplier. If you get a blank stare, or the runaround, beware.”

He adds that while most of Jarco’s customers buy Class 7 propane bobtails, their expectations for build quality and after-sale support are no different when they inquire about smaller trucks. “When propane marketers spec a mini-bobtail, they do so with a specific application in mind—they need to go off-road in a 4WD environment, or they want to deliver to trailer parks or to sites where a traditional 33,000-lb. GVW truck would be too big.

“They expect all the features and advantages of a Class 7 bobtail but in a smaller package, so that’s what we do. When we build a Class 5 bobtail, the piping, meters and materials are standard. The production quality, options and attention to detail are the same. A smaller truck should be an advantage in a given application, not a compromise.”

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