CONS of Flat Beds and Box Trucks

I’m still up in the air about whether to go with a box truck or a flat bed. I’ve done a ton of research, and I feel pretty well educated in the PROS of each setup, but I want to have a well-rounded view of each option before I pull the trigger.

So here’s my request: If you run a box truck and/or a flat bed, what DON’T you like about either setup?

Thank you!
Jesse

If you keep bleach in a box truck you will definitely have rust issues.

I have a flatbed and there is limited space for storage. I kinda wish I had just gotten a cargo van and trailer because we do more than just pressure washing and the van could be used on days that we are not pressure washing.

Also we have to reclaim water and the vacuum has difficulty pulling water up that high because it is mounted on the bed of the truck. If you don’t have to reclaim water then it may work out better for you.

Thanks for the input guys…Very helpful!

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There’s Pros & Cons for either. Thing is to build a set up that is best for work efficiency & marketing your business IMO. My Son likes working out of our open trailer…I like working out of our box truck and the visibility it has. Thinking about building a flatbed to knock out large projects. Rust will be an issue regardless of which platform you wish to build on. Knowing how to address and prevent rust is key to longevity.

We’ve down trailers in the past, though they work great, I felt the liability of backing into something or someone was greater, and pulling into job sites could be tricky at times. It takes more of a skill to pull trailers.

We’ve moved to Box Vans, and I’m loving it. The convenience of storage is stellar. Having everything included gives me peace of mind for safety and weathering.

I bought the large equine mats for horse stalls (rubber, chemical resistant, noise cancelling), mounted them to a reinforced steel flooring, sprayed in rhino liner. I’m sure I’ll get 10 years before any noticeable rust will be an issue.

Thanks for the input guys! We work off of a trailer right now (just finished a day’s work on our new one) I like working off of a trailer, but access is a real concern in my area, so I know I’ll be going with a truck of some kind in 2017. I really like the visibility of a box truck and the storage capacity as well. My biggest concern is rust. I’m a huge proponent of overkill when it comes to rust prevention, and I don’t store SH for any amount of time, so I’m leaning pretty heavily toward a 16’ box truck when the time comes.

Does anyone have any experience with the retired Uhual trucks? They seem to be well maintained and in good condition, plus, I like the over cab storage space.

@ GuyB I know you have a pretty serious setup for ventilation…how’s that working out? Anything you would have set up differently?

Thank you!

We run BOTH.
First rig is a 14’ flatbed. It is nice to have the access on the flatbed, no question. However, equipment does weather on that rig. You have to keep up with corrosion…especially running high percentage SH Roof Rigs. That is a dedicated Roof Cleaning only rig.

Second truck is a 15’ NPR box truck. The biggest drawback to running box is fumes. Chem and exhaust. Most guys can solve exhaust…but I solved chem fumes completely with a sealed tank design with extern vents and fill ports. That truck has both an 8 GPM Hot Water Dragon and a Roof cleaning rig onboard.

Of the two…I like the box truck. The equipment lasts longer, there is way more advertising space and you have height in which to mount things. The only drawback to it is the ladder storage situation which is easier to deal with on a flatbed with a custom ladder rack.

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Box trucks don’t work well with parking garages

True. Right now my plan is to stay 100% Residential (not excluding HOAs, Condos, etc) If I ever decide to get into commercial at all, it would ONLY be garages and I would set up a purpose built flat bed for it…Far off, if at all though. (I say that knowing how quickly opportunities can come up and plans can change!)