Best Flatbed Truck for Lumber Yard

Whatever you get, you need rollers on the end of the bed. All lumber haulers(local bobtail) it’s a MUST to have rollers for roll off. I’ve hauled plenty of lumber on a semi, and all companies I hauled for , all there trucks had roller beds.

 

As soon as i saw your picture........................i knew that the one buying the trucks puts effort in it.

 

Rollers have been out for about 20 years around my way. Dump bodies are the name of the game. Take a little more skill to use the roller bed as effectively as a dump.
* and local lumber is about the cheapest driving you can find over here, so skill is typically somewhat further down the list.

 

Yes T880 can have a 22K. I have one on mine with 20K springs.

 

Some things you definitely don’t want to dump, that’s for sure ie exotic hardwoods and trim, And some things you can dump in limited quantities.... but contractors or homeowners get real butt hurt about it ie composite decking.

 

Out here in the west coast, SoCal area, there still doing it, roll off. I guess there still stuck in ancient times.

 

Illinois still rolls some stuff off. Guy next door had a pole building put up. Menards delivered it all on a roll off. I don’t recall there being any damaged product? Even the trusses were like 70’.

However I used to work at a furniture factory and I would of made them load it right back up if they dumped the product in my yard.

 

I’ve driven two straight trucks with piggyback lifts.

First was an international 8200 with a small Cat and a 10 speed Rockwell transmission. 12k/34k. We generally loaded to 12k and 44k in the commercial zone. With the lift on it was a fairly balanced truck. With out the lift out had to start loading at the rear of the bed and leave the first 10’ open to not overload the steers.

Next truck was a t800 with a 3406e/8ll. It was a fun truck to drive. 20k/46k with a 12k pound pusher in front of the drives. It was originally spec’ed to pull a pup trailer. With the lift on and the pusher down you had to load very heavy up front or you were luck to get 10k on your steers. With the lift off you still had to load front heavy to max out at 20k/12k/44k but I could load 50k on the deck of a 4 axle straight truck as long as the loaders would double stack the pallets. Never really liked the Feeling of those tall loads.

The only draw back of the second truck was the front end liked to push in the rain with the wide float tires.