You can use a truck for all types of high-demand hauling and transport applications. Having the right truck allows you to haul heavy equipment and materials over both short and long distances with ease. A truck is made up of a variety of durable parts, including fenders, engine components, control systems and more.

One of the most important elements of a heavy commercial truck is its frame, which determines the load and pressure it can handle. It’s important to know the size of the truck’s frame if you’re planning to install a truck flatbed or container.

The frame, also known as your vehicle’s chassis, is one of your truck's main sources of support. Without a sturdy chassis, your truck will be ill-equipped to carry goods or get your operator to their destination safely. That's why it is so critical to maintain a healthy frame and prevent fatigue by using the best maintenance practices.

Many trucks are made with ladder-type frames, which offer support for most heavy loads. Ladder-type frames are so effective because they consist of two major components: side rails and crossmembers. These components complement one another while supporting both the vehicle itself and the cargo.

Your ability to transport cargo using a truck depends almost entirely on the vehicle’s frame, including its size and capacity. This means understanding how wide your truck frame is will provide you with a more thorough understanding of the vehicle as a whole and help you make safer decisions.

The relationship between the truck frame, the body and the load is essential to the success of your industrial applications. As long as you know the width of the chassis, you’ll have an easier time finding compatible components and equipment. This will help ensure operational efficiency and even extend your vehicle’s service life.

To find out the width of your truck’s chassis, you will need to measure it first. This is typically a simple enough task as long as you have a high-quality measuring tool.

That said, different parts of the frame have different widths, meaning it’s important to know exactly where to begin and where to end. You can find the proper width of your truck's chassis by measuring the widest part of the frame, which starts at the outside edge of one frame rail and stops at the outside edge of the other rail. With this information, you'll have a better idea of what to look for while shopping for parts.

Measuring the width of a truck frame only takes a few moments, and it can make your search for a truck body far easier. Contact your Cat® dealer today for more information or access to a variety of used heavy equipment solutions.