Deciding Between a Pickup or Chassis Cab Truck

Trucks are a surprisingly versatile tool, and the right truck can make your work life a lot easier. But chassis cab trucks and pickups are pretty similar, so it can be difficult to know which is right for you. We here at McCandless Truck Center know trucking is hard enough as it is, so we’ve put together a brief guide to deciding between a pickup or chassis cab truck, below. To learn more, or to see the trucks we have for sale, contact our stores throughout Colorado and Wyoming, today!

What’s the Difference?

First, what separates a chassis cab from a pickup truck? You likely already know what a pickup truck is—a cab with seating for two to five people and a low-walled bed that can fit a variety of cargoes. Picture that with the bed stripped away, and you’ve got a chassis cab. They’re approximately the same length, but instead of a walled bed they have a low, reinforced platform. 

When is a Pickup Best?

A pickup truck, with the built-in bed, can be used for a variety of both commercial and private purposes. They’re rugged, powerful, and can help you move anything from furniture to raw materials to a powersports vehicle. Compared to a chassis cab, most pickups have a much higher horsepower and torque rating, which also allows them to tow much larger, heavier cargo.

They see a lot of use in construction, agriculture, and industrial work, as well.. A pickup truck can be invaluable for getting feed to livestock, transporting gravel and other material to and from a dig site, and more. In short, you want a pickup truck when you want an easy all-in-one tool that does a bit of everything.

When is a Chassis Cab Best?

Thanks to the lack of a bed, a chassis cab is ripe for upgrading and customizing to fill any specific role you can think of. The reinforced frame has straight, standard-sized rails that make a number of up-fits possible and even easy. Thanks to the overbuilt rear end, a chassis cab also tends to have a higher Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), which is the amount of total weight the vehicle can safely, efficiently handle. 

All of this means that if you have a very specific niche you need to fill, a chassis cab truck can easily be made to fill it. Attach a dump truck body to enable the truck to carry huge amounts of loose material, or a service body or utility bed to allow for the easy organization and transportation of tools and supplies. Flatbed, bucket, and concrete/stake bodies are also commonly fitted to these handy platforms.

For a jack of all trades, the pickup truck is your golden ticket, but for a master of one, you want a chassis cab. If you have any questions, or you just want to see the trucks and truck accessories we have for sale, contact us at McCandless Truck Center. We proudly serve the people of Colorado and Wyoming—let us serve you today!