finding and installing auto accessories

One of the beauties of owning a pick-up truck is being able to choose from a wide range of custom truck beds (often called "bodies"). Even when you narrow your custom truck bed choices to one general style, flat-beds, you still have a multitude of custom choices to choose from. Having too many choices can be daunting.

Here's a quick guide to help you choose the right custom flat-bed truck body for your pick-up:

Platform Style

Platform style flat-bed truck bodies are designed for hauling a wide range of cargo. When you're looking at platform style flat-bed bodies, look for these key features:

• Flat Edges: to make it easier to lift things onto the truck bed from all sides, platform style beds lack raised edges. This feature is important if you haul hay or other equipment that sometimes overlaps the sides of your truck bed.
• Seamless Surface: platform style beds are seamless. Having a seamless surfaces allows cargo to sit flush on the truck bed.
• Parallel Tie-Down Rails: at the side edges of platform style beds, parallel tie down rails jut out about inch from the truck bed's side edges. These tie-down rails make it easy to secure cargo from multiple angles and distances.

Overall, platform style beds represent the most minimal flat-bed truck body option. These style beds are often cheaper and lighter than other flat-bed bodies.

Ranch/Farm Style

Ranch/farm style truck bodies are similar in design to platform truck bodies, but add a few key feature to make them more useful on the farm or ranch.

• Protective Backing: farm/ranch style beds have protected backing that extends from the truck's bed to the top of the truck cab's rear window. Although there are a variety of protective backing styles to choose from, this protection ensures that cargo you're hauling doesn't come crashing through the truck cab's rear window.
• Wheel-Well Covers: most farm/ranch style beds feature wheel-well covers. These wheel-well covers prevent mud and rocks from flying wildly behind the truck. Additionally, wheel-well covers create more surface area to support many of the side panel boxes and foot-holds add onto the sides of these truck bodies.
• Foot Holds-farm/ranch style beds have footholds added to the side and rear of the truck body.
• Panel-Boxes-some farm/ranch style truck bodies have one to four panel boxes welded into the sides the truck body. These panel boxes come in variety of sizes, depths, and other features.

Overall, farm/ranch style beds are perfect for getting work done around the farm or ranch. These truck bodies can be useful, however, if you want to stow tools or other items in secure panel boxes. The footholds can be useful for climbing onto and off of the truck bed.

Service

Service style flat-bed truck bodies have paneled sides that extend above the truck bed. They also offer open truck bed space between the paneled sides.

• Custom Panels: service truck beds feature a host of truck panels on either side of the truck bed. Most service truck beds have six panel compartments (3 per side). One set of panel compartments sit behind the rear wheels, one sits above the wheels, one sits in front the wheels.
• Tail Gate: most service truck beds offer half-sized tail gates. These half-sized tail gates prevent cargo from sliding out of the truck bed, but are low enough to make it easy to access the truck bed without opening the tail gate.

Overall, service truck bodies are perfect for securely hauling tools and other equipment needed to provide a host service workmanship.

When you're choosing a flat-bed truck body, it's important to choose a truck body that fits your truck and your needs. Visit a site like http://www.hillsboroindustries.com for more information.