Rust Free Truck Beds

Rust-free truck beds are essential for any modern-day truck. B&M Auto Sales & Parts carries a wide variety of aluminum truck parts, which are much lighter and corrosion-resistant than steel. Search for your part online using our efficient parts locator and, if you can’t find the part you need contact us today and we’ll find it for you.

Benefits of Rusk Free Truck Beds

Truck beds have historically been made of steel only because it was the only metal available at that time. Aluminum truck beds were introduced in 2000 and have been increasing in popularity ever since. Aluminum truck beds offer many benefits over steel, namely its corrosion resistance and lighter weight.

Corrosion Resistance

Aluminum is naturally resistant to corrosion without any special manufacturing process. Even with costly measures like stainless steel and galvanization, steel will unfortunately always be more susceptible to rust. While a manufacturer can increase steel’s resistance by adding chromium, it increases the cost of the material. Stainless steel is also weaker than other steel alloys which can be a significant disadvantage in loadbearing applications, which truck beds are made for.

Galvanization is another measure manufacturers may use to protect steel truck beds. The surface of the bed is coated with a layer of zinc, which is highly resistant to rust. However, the process increases the cost of the bed and becomes ineffective once the galvanic layer wears off.

Lower Maintenance & Higher Resale

Aluminum’s natural corrosion resistance results in lower maintenance requirements. In comparison, steel truck beds have to be inspected regularly and constantly maintained in cases of rust. Any scratches in the paint must be touched up promptly before the exposed steel becomes affected and galvanized steel requires re-galvanization.

The significantly reduced maintenance gives aluminum beds a much higher resale value. An aluminum bed can retain its appearance for decades with minimal effort and typically have longer lifespans, and longer warranties, than a steel bed due to its lasting durability. When purchasing a new truck bed, truck owners should be aware of the longevity and maintenance requirements of the material they choose.

Higher Payload

While aluminum is significantly lighter than steel, it’s generally not as strong. Due to their lighter weight, aluminum beds must be thicker than steel beds to achieve the same strength. Aluminum beds are often made of 6063 aluminum which is found to be 10 -15% lighter than a steel bed of similar strength.

Aluminum's lighter weight does have its advantages, which become more significant as the size of the truck bed increases. When comparing a 4,000-pound commercial steel truck bed with an equivalent aluminum bed, the aluminum bed would weigh up to 600 pounds less, thus increasing the truck’s payload by 600 pounds. This allows trucks with aluminum beds to carry a lot more weight before being overloaded and will use less fuel thanks to the lighter load on the engine.

Buy Used Truck Beds for Less at B&M Auto Sales & Parts

B&M Auto Sales & Parts offers a huge selection of used truck parts including truck beds. If you are in the market for a new (used) truck bed, you can search through our inventory of parts online from the convenience of your own home. Contact us for help finding rust-free truck beds for any of these makes: