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Many service body suppliers have really stepped up quality over the past several years. "There is more of a level playing field than there ever was before," says Tim Worman, product manager, Iowa Mold Tooling Co., Inc. (IMT). "If I were to line up the top five competitors, it would be really tough for anybody to say which is better."

But there are still some significant differences between the various makes of service bodies if you know where to look. Determining which service body fits best really comes down to understanding your needs. "Understand your cost of operation," advises Worman. "Understand what your replacement cycle is going to be. Look at payload requirements. Understand what you are going to lift."

You have to look at the intended life-cycle of the product. Worman says he is puzzled why some contractors go out and purchase a premium truck, then put a low-cost body on it. "Why would you do it? If I had both premium components, look at my trade-in opportunity at the end of the life, or my resale capability."

Service bodies are available in a range of price points that offer varying levels of durability and weight. "It is a durability/weight/cost trade-off," explains Jason Ollerich, Feterl Mfg. "Pick two of those. You could make the body out of aluminum and really save the weight. You would still have good durability, but you are going to be paying for it. In our case, we try to keep cost competitive and have the durability, but our weight is a little higher. We have satisfied customers who think it is worth it."

Built for long life

Durability is critical to ensure longevity. These bodies, when equipped with cranes, experience a lot of racking and twisting that can lead to crack formation. This movement is natural. "If you do any preventive measures to keep a body from twisting too much, you can actually induce cracking because it needs to flex somewhat," says Worman.