July 2008, Work Truck - Feature
Cyclng Truck Bodies: Is It a Good or Bad Idea?
By Joe Bohn
Cold Climates Face Different Issues
Kansas City, Mo., Central Fleet has tried cycling cranes, but with "limited success," according to Sam Swearngin, CAFM, fleet superintendent.
Because of their expense, "We tried twice with truck-mounted cranes to take them off an old truck and put them on a new one with a new flatbed. But I’m not endorsing that," says Swearngin.
The cranes were perceived as unreliable and lacked the remote control features of new models. The trucks ended up as "secondary units," used just for emergencies — not exactly what the County had planned.
Like those in other cold climate areas, Kansas City’s truck bodies and mounted equipment are subject to the corrosive effect of salt, which largely precludes cycling. Dump bodies, in particular, often wear out more quickly than the cab-and-chassis.
Despite rising costs, Swearngin and fellow superintendents has been experimenting with — and spending money on — more expensive, corrosive-resistant steels to stretch out truck life.
"I’ve got trucks here 15 to 16 years old, and I wouldn’t have thought it possible in the past. We literally run them until there’s a catastrophic failure."
"There are a number of strategies you can use to extend body life," he notes.
Upgrades to "mild" steel proved inadequate for the fleet’s goals. However, Cor-Ten, commonly termed "weathering steel," has worked well for Kansas City’s public works division trucks.
The mechanical properties of weathering steel depend on which alloy and the material thickness is. It has been used in bridge and other large structural applications.
"It gets surface rust, but not structural rust," like mild steels, which are subject to structural failures," said Swearngin.
In select applications for water department trucks, subject to year-around wetness and corrosion, fleet officials have also been experimenting with stainless steel.
"For a 14-foot tandem dump truck that needs the horsepower to pull backhoes costing around $140,000, you can put a second engine and transmission in it and still be ahead of the game, if everything is structurally sound," said Swearngin.
T1/tungsten steel in the floor of dump trucks also permits doing away with underbody cross members, which catch hard-to-clean dirt and debris and contribute to premature rusting. "You get a nice, clean floor that goes all the way across," he notes.
The under-bridge bucket/aerial truck cost $268,000 to refurbish versus $400,000 for a brand new model. Refurbishment included sending the vehicle back to the original equipment manufacturer, and having it completely upgraded to the level of a new model.
Refurbishing "Mini Pumpers"
Canadian fire/emergency-truck producer and refurbisher Holland Enterprises, based in Kakabeka Falls, Ontario, has also seen demand for cycling "mini pumpers."
These are 1- and 2-ton trucks, scaled-down versions of pumper trucks that provide fire and protection services for cost-conscious customers.
Most fire apparatus vehicles don’t log many miles or hours on the engine. Typically, the bodies wear out much more quickly than the chassis.
Kevin Holland, operations manager notes that cost savings from refurbishment depend on the body’s condition, and the amount of work it requires.
Overall, truck operators need to give as much attention to preventive maintenance on truck bodies, as they do the chassis.
"People give a lot of attention to the chassis, but they often don’t realize the body requires maintenance the same as an engine," Holland concluded. WT