Choosing the right deck

Published on: 24th August 2023

What type of truck deck will be right for your application? You already know that you want it to be safe and durable enough to handle some tough situations but what materials should you choose?

Ask the experts: there’s more to decking than meets the eye!

Sterling is the leading manufacturer of beavertail truck bodies based in North Yorkshire in the United Kingdom. We manufacture plant bodies for 14-32 tonne trucks, manufacturing over 230 beavertails in 2023.  Each individual truck body is manufactured after specific consultation with the client, so we get an educated understanding of what you do day to day in terms of what you transport and the regularity of use.  This way we can advise the best decking configuration to fit to your body that will best suit your operation.

Our company designs beavertail truck bodies for various sectors in the industry and each has its own unique decking requirements.  These include:

• Access
• Plant Hire
• Accommodation
• General Haulage
• Construction
• Agricultural
• Forklifts

What do we consider in helping you choose the right truck deck?

The point-loading of the load is one of the most important considerations when choosing decking. While some trucks will transport a full load of small lighter kit per run, other trucks will transport less items which may be very heavy.  Some machines, whilst they may be small have extremely high point loading, e.g., a road planer or 3-wheel forklift.  Other machines such as large 14 tonne excavators haven’t necessarily got the highest point loading but tend to have the greatest mass.

Then there’s also the matter of the type of traffic to be accommodated. A truck body, its decking, and loading ramps will have to tolerate anything from steel tracks to rubber wheels and tracks to metal drum rollers.  Rubber tracks and tyres would cause less stress on surfaces as the rubber is a softer material where steel tracks can even cause damage to some deck surfaces.  Rollers with their smooth steel drums have little grip so again have their own unique decking requirements.

What decking should I use?

Sterling uses 4 different types of decking for truck bodies, or a combination of one, two or three types of decking on one body, to meet the individual requirements of each operation. Each type of decking has certain characteristics which makes it suitable for each individual application.

Timber Decking

Timber decking is the most popular choice for truck decks; and the most popular type of wood used is Keruing, a Malaysian Hardwood. It is long lasting and has an excellent strength to weight ratio. This tough wood has the same density as Red Oak, and twice the hardness rating of White Oak. The secret to its strength lies in the interlocking wood grain. This has a good point-loading strength, meaning it is great for most applications, particularly steel tracked vehicles and equipment with a high point loading.

Steel Grating

To improve grip, some clients prefer to use a heavy-duty steel grating instead of timber. This is a material has its own inherent strength so isn’t required to be combined with other materials. The grip provided by this surface is particularly excellent for rubber tyres, but is not as suitable for steel tracks, and drum rollers. The grating is zinc galvanised prior to fitment, making it resistant to rust. This is a very popular option for our access machinery hire clients as it is particularly beneficial when carrying scissor lifts, cherry pickers and spider-lifts.

Steel Expanded Mesh

This is a great complimenting product to the timber deck and is fitted atop of the timber to give fantastic grip. This is galvanised and is usually used for trucks that have a variety of equipment transported on them, from rubber tracked diggers to road planers to scissor lifts.  A good half-way house between the two surfaces outlined above.

Steel Durbar

Steel durbar has extremely high impact strength and is used on decks that carry very heavy weights.  As it can be very slippery, particularly when wet, it is typically confined to small areas of the deck that will be subjected to extreme point loading such as the area in the centre of the deck where the knuckle of 14 tonne excavators tend to sit.  A deck option other than steel durbar plate in this application is at risk of damage.

Sturdy construction enhances the lifespan of your deck.

Whilst deck type selection is important, it is just as crucial that the supporting frame beneath the deck is appropriately build.  For example, the industry standard spacing between supporting crossmembers is 400mm, but a Sterling build exceeds this specification by fitting the crossmembers closer together at 300mm giving far greater point loading leading to vastly reduced deck wear.

In addition, commonly used box section crossmembers are prone to rust meaning that over time, the deck support becomes compromised.  The Sterling product is built using I-beam or C-section crossmembers as all the ‘black’ steel on these can be fully paint protected meaning your deck will have sufficient underlying strength for a far greater period (often years) than alternative builds.

Need help and advice? Talk to the truck body specialists!

Sterling has an extensive after sales service team, with 160 service agents throughout the UK, from Cornwall to the Scottish Islands. Our support covers truck owners and operators, so why not give us a call or email us? We’re here to help with any truck body related questions you may have.