What should I consider when purchasing a new beavertail plant body for my truck?

Published on: 8th September 2023

PERFORMANCE

Firstly, ensure the body does the job you need it to do.  Not all bodies are created equal and that’s usually intentional.  For example, a body carrying forklifts will be designed differently to a body carrying rollers.  Rollers require the grip that a timber surface will give against the steel drum whereas a steel mesh surface, whilst unsuitable for rollers, would be the best option for rubber wheeled forklifts.

Consider these questions:

• What type of items will the vehicle be carrying? Plant?  Forklifts?  Access machinery?  Accommodation?  Poles?  Loose loads?
• What ground clearance do your machines have?
• What size are the items you will be carrying?
• How many items will you be able to carry in one load?
• How high is the point loading of your machines?
• Where will the vehicle be delivering?

INVESTMENT

Upfront cost/price

As with any capital expenditure, the upfront price is only half of the equation.  However, when comparing quotations, consider the specification.  To use an analogy, a rowing boat is likely to cost less than a cruise liner yet they are both floating modes of transport so ensure you are comparing ‘apples with apples’ when looking at prices.  Even when the specifications may appear equal i.e. same dimensions, same ramp styles, same quantity of lashing points, are there other factors not necessarily detailed in the spec?  What is the build method?  How does build quality compare?  What are the differences in potential aftersales care?

Overall cost of ownership and ROI

How reliable is the body going to be?  A beavertail plant body has moving parts and experiences strains that other bodies don’t so it’s important to ensure body reliability and longevity.  When there is a breakdown, remember that it’s not just the cost of the body repair but the cost of downtime and the cost of letting customers down.

How much is the body going to affect residual value of the vehicle?  Whilst this is always an unknown until the vehicle is sold, it’s a safe bet that a better condition body will attract more interest and command a higher price.  The higher the price at sale, the less the vehicle cost of the period of ownership so the better the return on investment.

EASE

As well as ease of use of the product, ease applies to other factors of your purchasing decision.  How easy is it to deal with your contact at the bodybuilder?  How quickly did they provide a quotation?  How well will you be kept updated throughout the build process?  What is their on-time delivery rating?  How good is their after-sales service?  How fast is their parts delivery?  All of this is well worth considering as hassle shouldn’t have to be a given!

RISK

How do I know I’m not buying a ‘dog’?  Particularly if this is the first time using a bodybuilder, ensure you do due diligence to minimise the risk of the unknown.  It’s important to have confidence before proceeding with an order.  Some ways of ensuring a bodybuilder is a worthy supplier include:

• Viewing the physical product.
• Seeing who they have supplied before (if you know any of their clients, contact them directly to see what their experience is).
• Visit the factory and by viewing their facilities and quality processes, assess their capability and professionalism.