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The Many Advantages of a Cab and Chassis Truck

Dec. 23 2021 Buying Guide By California Truck Centers

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Trucking is one of the most important and underrated careers around, enabling every industry from shipping to supply to utility to moving, and more! But the type of truck you buy can seriously limit your job prospects, which is just one reason why a cab and chassis truck might be a better option. We here at California Truck Centers want to help you get the most from your truck that you can, so we’ve put together a few of the many advantages of a cab and chassis truck below. To learn more, or to see the cab and chassis trucks we have for sale, contact our stores across California, today!

What’s Different?

First, what make a cab and chassis truck so special? The name is more descriptive than you might think—these trucks come with nothing but the cab, and where a pickup might have a bed is just a reinforced frame. That rear part, the chassis, is designed to allow you to install any number of general or specialized beds and equipment.

Versatility

While these trucks may not be the most visually-impressive off the bat, their unique build allows them the flexibility they need to become any truck you can possibly want and to do any job a truck can do. With that reinforced chassis, you can install just about any truck bed or truck-mounted equipment, turning your truck into a:

  • Dump truck.
  • Utility or service truck.
  • Crane.
  • Emergency vehicle.
  • Flexible shipping truck.
  • And so much more!

Potential Limitations

Of course, just because these trucks can do a lot of jobs, that doesn’t mean there aren’t limits.

Weight

Like any vehicle, a cab and chassis truck has a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, or GVWR, assigned by the manufacturer. That number is the limitation of how much weight the truck can safely handle, including:

  • The base model.
  • The bed and any other aftermarket upgrades.
  • All cargo.
  • The driver and passenger.
  • Fuel and other fluids.

Going over the truck’s GVWR can damage the engine, frame, and more, and will definitely cut into fuel efficiency. Make sure the truck you buy can handle the weight of the bed you need, combined with all the people and cargo you’ll want it to carry.

Power and Control

Many of the bed and equipment you can mount on a cab and chassis truck require some amount of power, whether it’s just operating lights or driving winches and hydraulics. Some of these will have independent power supplies, but others will need to be hooked up to your truck’s engine. That can also impact how well it operates, so be sure your truck will be physically able to operate the bed the way you need it to. 

Ready to see what a cab and chassis truck can become fo you? Contact us at California Truck Centers for more information, or to see our selection of cab and chassis trucks in stock. We proudly serve the people of the great state of California—let us serve you today!