ForConstructionPros.com

Not all dump bodies are created equal. "A good coat of paint and some fancy striping can make any body look good," says Bill Pick, product applications and inside sales manager, Monroe Truck Equipment. It is what you can't see that really makes a difference — the type of metals used in the construction process.

"The first thing you need to do is get a spec sheet on it. In any type of dump body application, the metal is going to be what makes it or breaks it for you," says Pick. "If you have comparison quotes from some other places, then make sure you are comparing apples to apples." One of the key criteria is the tensile strengths of the metals used.

Joe Paulsen, vice president of sales and marketing, Crysteel Mfg. Inc., a Truck Body and Equipment International (TBEI) Inc. company, agrees, adding, "Our number one objective in dealing with contractors is to educate them on the right steel to use for their application."

It is safer to spec a body that is a little too heavy than one that is too light. But there is a penalty for over-spec'ing. "You are adding weight that you don't need and you are going to add cost," says Paulsen. "Crysteel really tries to help people design their bodies so they are not putting in extra just because it was safe."

There are many types of steels in many different gauges. "The best way for a contractor to gauge which type of steel is best for him is to discuss his particular application with a reputable dump body supplier," says Bob Miller, vice president of sales and marketing, Ox Bodies, a Truck Body and Equipment International (TBEI) Inc. company. "TBEI companies offer a broad variety of steels in their bodies, ranging from a mild steel that has a 36,000-psi yield to the higher abrasion-resistant (AR) types of steel that approach 200,000-psi yield."