Best truck to use for flatbed

Personally I would go with a mid roof. You get the best of both worlds. I'd rather be able to stand up to put my pants on. The only time I would recommend a flat top is pulling a hopper bottom. . Some of those places have really low clearance . Spec your truck to the job you will be doing.

 

They need adjustable high ones to match load height

 

To each his own. I don't like the black. Especially guys that use the flat black. It just looks to me like they couldn't afford to buy chrome so they painted it instead .

 

What I want to know, is what is best to coat the stacks black with. I have had my wheels powder coated black along with some other stuff. Headache rack is next and as soon as I get new side boxes, they will be powder coated too, and think I need my stacks black too. My days of polishing is behind me.
I wish I had powder coated my tanks, instead I used bed liner, and they are getting to the point, I am going to have to redo them.

 

Mine are 13”4’ and I still do some tree trimming .......

 

Legal height here is 15, should I go 14' 10 " with mine. lol On my flat top they would look like light poles sticking up there, plus I could not get in my shop.
My shop neighbor bought a western start a couple of years ago, and instead of chipping the ice away from his door, he cut the stacks down. It had nice 7 in tips, which sell for a premium here. I ask him if he knew what they cost, and he told me he did NOW. lol

 

The kind that are paid off.... lol

 

100% agree. Blacked out everything is for UFC wannabes.

 

I would rather just have unpolished alum or stainless.......nothing else lasts at all around here! (NE/Midwest)

 

My thoughts, it really depends on the freight you wanna pull. If your always gonna have the same trailer or no.

Ive always had some run in with freight that has an overhang, so a longer frame or a shorter cab or both, is worth consideration.

Ive driven mid roof and condos. I prefer mid roof just do to less bloody cab roll. And you dont take as near a beating in the wind. Then theres the MPG issue. There was roughly .5 mpg different between trucks with an identical drivetrain with identical loads and routes. The mid roof won that contest. I was legit shocked when I borrowed a condo for a week.

If your gonna have the same trailer at all times, you can just put some boxes on the trailer and throw everything in there. If not, you may want a truck you can store a ton of things, with boxes on the tractor frame instead.

If i were in the market i would order exactly what im in with a slightly modified power train. Midroof with a coffin sleeper, and extended frame. Headache rack that holds wood and chain. 2 frame boxes. (But thats because ive ive hauled precast, so you need all that for the FOH. Theres lumber and steel loads too that need it) but if your not going to be dealing with that, then spec how you wish. It does give you a slightly more versatile amount of freight though.