Tray, tipper, pantech or curtainsider? Choosing the right body

Tray (table top)

The most versatile body. Drop sides and a headboard let you carry building materials, machinery and odd shapes, and a forklift can load from three sides. Alloy trays save a few hundred kilos of payload over steel. Add a tailgate loader if you deliver without a forklift at the other end.

Tipper

For loose materials: soil, gravel, demolition, green waste. Look for a Hardox or high-tensile body (lighter and longer lasting), a two-way tailgate, and an electric tarp if you work on public roads. On car-licence trucks the body eats payload fast, so check the real tare.

Pantech

A weather-proof box, usually with a roller door and tailgate loader. The choice for furniture, parcels, retail deliveries and anything that must stay dry. Internal height matters: 2.2 m fits most pallets, 2.4 m fits stacked cages.

Curtainsider (tautliner)

Side access for forklifts plus weather protection. Standard for pallet freight and store deliveries. Mezzanine decks double the cube for light goods. Make sure curtains are load-rated if you rely on them for restraint.

Refrigerated

Insulated body plus a fridge unit (Thermo King, Carrier). Service history of the fridge unit is as important as the truck's. Ask how many hours are on it.

Specialist bodies

Crane trucks, tilt trays, service bodies and water trucks each carry certification requirements. We check crane certs and tilt-tray winch ratings before we list them.

Our rule of thumb

Buy the body for the job you do most weeks, not the job you do twice a year. For the rest, hire the right unit from our fleet.