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In a new Associate Member Viewpoint, Great Dane examines the role truck body mounting systems can play in long-term performance.

Choosing the right truck body mounting system is essential for fleet operators focused on reducing downtime, improving vehicle serviceability, and maximizing return on investment (ROI). For beverage distribution, the mounting system you choose can make a measurable difference in long-term performance.

While often overlooked, truck body mounting systems play a critical role in your vehicle’s performance and lifecycle cost. The method used to connect the truck body to the chassis affects not only ride quality but also downtime, maintenance, and the time required for future body replacements or upgrades.

Traditional mounting systems rely on U-bolts and wooden strips, but nowadays, there’s a better way of doing things in the name of maximizing both ROI and uptime.

Let’s break down how an integrated mounting system is giving modern fleets a better option in truck body mounting.

Many manufacturers still use U-bolts with wood filler strips, but that wood compresses over time, which leads to slack, shifting, and even body displacement on the chassis.

In extreme cases, that movement can lead to a body physically detaching from the frame. While rare, it’s a risk that no fleet wants to take.

The integrated mounting system is designed without U-bolts or filler strips. Instead, it uses welded angles inside and outside the long stringer on the body and bolts through the chassis’ neutral axis. The result is a rock-solid connection with built-in flex where it counts.

Here’s a quick overview of the most common truck body mounting styles:

• Fully Welded – Uses permanent, rigid connections. It can be difficult and expensive to service if it cracks under frame flex, as it is prone to do.
• U-bolts – Familiar, traditional, and relatively inexpensive. However, this style requires filler strips and U-bolts, which stretch and loosen over time, especially as the wood filler compresses. That means torque values drop, and the bolts need to be re-tightened periodically to maintain a safe, secure fit.
• Clamped – Quick to install and offers a high degree of flexibility for chassis swaps. The big con is that this style isn’t very feasible with heavier payloads. You likely won’t see this style in truck body applications like reefer, construction, or bulk haul sectors due to their lower load-handling confidence and long-term durability issues.
• Integrated System – This integrated option is rigid yet flexible, requires minimal maintenance, and allows for fast chassis swaps. It’s rigid yet flexible, requires minimal maintenance, and allows for fast chassis swaps.

An integrated mounting system has no U-bolts or wood, so you no longer have to deal with:

• Stretching and loosening under load
• Body movement that stresses other components
• Time-consuming torque checks during preventive maintenance
• Torch work when swapping bodies

That efficiency adds up, especially for fleets running larger volumes of box trucks, refrigerated bodies, or municipal service vehicles.

The U-bolt-and-wood approach may be common in the industry, but even on new units, you’ll sometimes see cracked four-by-four blocks under the body.

The integrated mounting system may have a higher up-front cost, but it was built to reduce the lifetime cost of ownership.

About Great Dane

Great Dane was founded more than 125 years ago, and our storied history is part of the very fabric of our country. As a leading manufacturer of high-performance commercial transportation equipment, including dry and refrigerated trailers and truck bodies, as well as steel, aluminum, and combo platform trailers, Great Dane is a driving force in trailer technology, quality, safety, sustainability, and customer service. With corporate offices located in Savannah, Georgia and Chicago, Illinois, Great Dane also has eleven manufacturing plants strategically located throughout the United States. Our company’s network of full-line independent dealers offers a broad range of distribution points for new and pre-owned trailers across North and South America. Visit Great Dane online at Greatdane.com.