BEAVERTAIL BODIES

Custom Beavertail Truck Bodies Melbourne, Victoria & Tasmania

Metro Truck Body Builders designs and builds custom beavertail truck bodies in Melbourne for machinery, plant and equipment transport. Built at Metro’s Seaford workshop in Melbourne’s south-east, each beavertail is configured around the cab chassis, available payload, machinery being carried and the way the truck needs to work day to day.

A beavertail truck body is more than a standard tray with ramps added to the back. Body length, deck configuration, rear slope, loading angle, ramp arrangement, payload, load restraint, storage and additional equipment all need to work together as one complete machinery transport setup.

Metro builds beavertails for construction businesses, earthmoving contractors, landscapers, machinery hire companies, councils, commercial fleets and private operators across Melbourne, Victoria, Tasmania and suitable interstate projects.

If you are comparing beavertail truck body builders in Melbourne, start with the machinery you need to move. Its dimensions, weight, track or tyre width and loading requirements influence the truck body Metro needs to build around it.

See examples of Metro’s fabrication, custom bodies and completed trucks in Recent Builds.

What Is a Beavertail Truck Body?

A beavertail truck body is a machinery transport body with a rear deck section that slopes down toward the loading ramps. This helps reduce the transition and loading angle compared with loading machinery onto a completely level tray.

The combination of the main deck, sloping rear section and ramps creates a body suited to machinery that needs to be driven, tracked or moved onto the truck.

Beavertail bodies are commonly used for:

• Excavators and mini excavators
• Skid steers and compact loaders
• Scissor lifts and access equipment
• Landscaping machinery
• Compact plant
• Civil and construction equipment
• Hire machinery
• Other commercial plant and equipment

They are used across construction, excavation, civil works, landscaping, machinery hire, councils, maintenance operations and commercial fleets where machinery transport forms a regular part of the vehicle’s work.

Custom Beavertail Bodies for Excavators, Plant & Machinery

Metro builds custom beavertail bodies for excavators, plant and machinery transport, with each body designed around the equipment the customer needs to carry.

Different machines create different requirements. Overall dimensions, operating weight, track or tyre width, ground clearance, loading angle, tie-down locations and the frequency of loading all influence the finished setup.

A truck transporting a mini excavator between landscaping jobs does not necessarily need the same body as a vehicle carrying access equipment, civil plant or hire machinery every day.

Metro starts with the cab chassis and the equipment. The deck, rear slope, ramps, storage, load restraint and additional equipment are then worked through around the job.

Steel Beavertail Truck Bodies Built for Commercial Work

Metro builds steel beavertail truck bodies for commercial use, with the construction specified around the vehicle, machinery and intended application.

Typical Metro beavertail features can include:

• 5mm checkerplate flooring
• Raised PFC side combing
• Headboard protection
• Heavy-duty rope rails
• Tie-down provisions
• Access steps
• Fixed or hydraulic loading ramps
• Custom toolbox and storage arrangements

The exact specification depends on the cab chassis, body dimensions, available payload, machinery being transported and individual build requirements.

The objective is not to make a body unnecessarily heavy. Material, structure and equipment need to make sense for the truck and the work expected of it.

Fixed or Hydraulic Beavertail Loading Ramps?

The ramp system is one of the most important parts of a custom beavertail truck body. Metro can build fixed or hydraulic ramp arrangements depending on the vehicle, machinery, loading frequency and operating requirements.

Hydraulic Beavertail Ramps

Hydraulic beavertail ramps provide assisted raising and lowering and can make frequent machinery loading and unloading easier for the operator.

The hydraulic system needs to be considered alongside the rear structure, ramp dimensions, machinery and complete truck configuration.

Fixed Beavertail Ramps

Fixed or manually operated ramp arrangements may suit applications where a simpler loading setup is appropriate.

Neither system should be selected purely in isolation. Ramp length, width, machinery clearance, loading angle, rear body structure and how often the truck is loaded all influence the right arrangement.

Tell Metro what machinery you need to load and how you use it. The ramp configuration can then be designed as part of the complete body.

Why Does Beavertail Loading Angle Matter?

The purpose of the beavertail section is to create a more practical transition from the ground, across the ramps and onto the main deck.

That matters because machinery differs considerably in wheelbase, track length and ground clearance. A loading arrangement that works well for one machine may not suit another.

Ramp dimensions and the rear deck geometry therefore need to be considered around the equipment the truck is intended to carry.

If you already know the machinery being transported, provide its dimensions and weight when discussing the build with Metro. This gives the team useful information when working through the body and loading arrangement.

Payload Matters When Designing a Beavertail Truck Body

A larger or heavier beavertail body does not increase what the truck is legally or practically able to carry.

The cab chassis, finished body weight, ramps, toolboxes, towing equipment, crane provision, electrical equipment and other fitted components all affect the completed vehicle and available payload.

This is why Metro designs the custom machinery transport body around the truck and intended load rather than treating body size as the only consideration.

If you are selecting a cab chassis for a new build, discuss what machinery you intend to transport as early as possible. It is better to work through vehicle and body requirements before fabrication begins.

Custom Beavertail Toolboxes & Truck Storage

A machinery transport truck often needs to carry considerably more than the machine sitting on the deck.

Metro can integrate storage into the beavertail layout so tools and equipment have practical locations without unnecessarily compromising usable deck space.

Depending on the truck and available space, options can include:

• Behind-cab toolboxes
• On-tray storage
• Underbody toolboxes
• Tie-down storage
• Water tanks
• Fire extinguisher mounting

Metro also supplies and installs custom truck toolboxes and underbody toolboxes, including storage integrated into new truck body builds and suitable standalone toolbox projects.

Beavertail Tow Bars, Lighting & Additional Equipment

A custom beavertail can be developed into a complete working truck rather than stopping at the deck and ramps.

Depending on the cab chassis and build specification, additional equipment can include tow bars, Redarc brake controllers, amber beacons, LED work lights, additional batteries, inverters, arrow boards, water tanks and fire extinguisher mounting.

If the truck needs to tow, carry specialised equipment or operate with additional electrical accessories, discuss those requirements during the initial design stage. Planning equipment with the body gives Metro the opportunity to consider the complete vehicle layout before fabrication begins.

Can Metro Build a Beavertail With a Truck-Mounted Crane?

Crane provision is available on suitable new complete builds where the beavertail truck body is designed around the selected crane installation.

A truck-mounted crane changes the structural and packaging requirements of the body, so crane provision needs to be considered from the beginning rather than treated as equipment to bolt onto a completed standard tray.

The truck, selected crane, intended lifting work, body structure and engineering requirements all influence the final configuration.

Custom Built Around the Truck, Payload & Machinery

Metro is not tied to one truck manufacturer, one standard body length or one generic beavertail configuration.

Each custom beavertail truck body starts with the supplied cab chassis and what the owner needs the truck to carry.

The deck, sloping rear section, loading ramps, storage, tie-down points, towing equipment, electrical accessories and finished layout are then considered around those requirements.

This matters because two customers asking for a beavertail may be doing completely different work.

One truck might spend its life transporting excavators between civil projects. Another might carry landscaping machinery. Another may need access equipment, storage, towing capability and additional electrical equipment incorporated into one vehicle.

The finished truck needs to suit the work rather than force the operator to work around a generic body.

Beavertail vs Flat Tray: Which Do I Need?

A Beavertail Truck Body and a Flat Tray both provide carrying space, but they solve different loading requirements.

A beavertail incorporates a sloping rear section and ramps to help machinery move between ground level and the deck.

A custom Flat Tray provides an open, level commercial carrying deck. It suits pallets, freight, timber, building materials, equipment and other loads where unrestricted side and rear access is more important than a machinery loading ramp system.

If regular excavator, plant or machinery loading is the main purpose of the vehicle, a beavertail is the more relevant starting point. If open deck access is the priority, consider a Flat Tray.

Beavertail vs Drop Side Tray

A Drop Side Tray provides a commercial tray with hinged sides that can be lowered for loading and unloading.

This suits work where materials need some containment during transport while the operator still requires side access to the tray.

A beavertail serves a different purpose. Its rear slope and ramp arrangement focus on getting machinery and equipment onto and off the truck.

If you carry tools, building materials, timber or general trade loads rather than regularly transporting machinery, a Drop Side Tray may make more sense.

Beavertail vs Tipper Body

A beavertail is designed primarily around loading and transporting machinery. A custom Tipper Body is designed around carrying and hydraulically discharging materials.

Metro builds tipper bodies for commercial applications including soil, aggregate, concrete, green waste and other materials, with Hardox available where the job and specification call for higher wear resistance.

If the truck needs to transport machinery, start with a beavertail. If it needs to carry and tip bulk material, a Tipper Body is the more relevant body type.

Can Metro Repair or Modify an Existing Beavertail?

Yes. An existing beavertail or machinery transport body does not always need complete replacement.

Metro undertakes truck body repairs and modifications from its Seaford workshop where the existing body is suitable for repair or alteration.

If your beavertail has damaged ramps, worn flooring, structural damage or another problem, send Metro photographs and information about the existing truck body.

If your working requirements have changed, explain what the truck currently does and what you need it to do after the modification.

How Does Metro Design a Custom Beavertail?

The process starts with the cab chassis, machinery and the work the finished truck needs to perform.

Metro works through body dimensions, deck configuration, loading angle, ramps, payload, storage, load restraint, towing and additional equipment before fabrication begins.

Troy handles much of Metro’s quoting and technical design work and uses Fusion 360 3D modelling to work through custom builds before steel is cut.

Scott runs the workshop and works alongside the fabrication team as those plans become the finished truck.

For broader information about Metro’s design process, materials, engineering, fabrication and custom builds, visit the Truck Body FAQ.

Beavertail Truck Body Builders Melbourne & Victoria

Metro Truck Body Builders manufactures custom beavertail truck bodies in Seaford, Victoria, in Melbourne’s south-east.

The workshop is conveniently located for businesses and truck operators around Frankston, Carrum Downs, Dandenong, Cranbourne, the Mornington Peninsula and Melbourne’s south-east industrial areas.

Metro also undertakes suitable projects for customers across regional Victoria, including Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton and Gippsland.

If you are searching for beavertail truck body builders Melbourne, beavertail bodies Victoria or a custom machinery transport body built around a commercial cab chassis, tell Metro what truck you have and what machinery you need to move.

Custom Beavertail Truck Bodies for Tasmania

Metro also welcomes suitable beavertail truck body enquiries from Tasmania.

Businesses and operators around Hobart, Launceston, Devonport, Burnie and elsewhere in Tasmania can discuss the cab chassis, machinery, body requirements and equipment with Metro before arranging the vehicle’s trip to Victoria.

For interstate builds, providing detailed truck and machinery information early helps Metro work through the proposed configuration before the vehicle arrives at the Seaford workshop.

Family-Owned Truck Body Builders Since 1989

Metro Truck Body Builders has been building, repairing and modifying commercial truck bodies in Victoria since 1989.

The business remains family owned and is now run by Scott and Troy, who are directly involved across quoting, technical design, customer communication, fabrication and workshop production.

That direct involvement matters on a custom beavertail. The people discussing what the truck needs to do remain close to the people responsible for turning the specification into a finished working vehicle.

Read the story behind Metro, Doug’s beginnings with a welder in the back of a Datsun 120Y and the second generation now running the business on Family Owned Since 1989.

See Metro Beavertail & Truck Body Builds

Specifications explain the components of a beavertail. Finished trucks show how those components come together.

Visit Recent Builds to see completed Metro truck bodies, fabrication work and different vehicle configurations.

Previous builds are also useful when planning a new truck because they show how ramps, deck layouts, storage, toolboxes and additional equipment have been incorporated into real Metro projects.

What Should I Send Metro for a Beavertail Quote?

To start a custom beavertail truck body quote, tell Metro what cab chassis you have and what machinery or equipment the truck needs to carry.

Useful information includes:

• Truck make and model
• Cab chassis details
• Machinery make and model
• Machinery dimensions and operating weight
• Track or tyre width
• Required body dimensions, if known
• Preferred ramp arrangement
• Typical loading and unloading requirements
• Tie-down and load-restraint requirements
• Toolboxes and storage
• Towing requirements
• Lighting and electrical equipment
• Crane requirements, where relevant
• Any drawings or existing specifications

If you do not have every detail sorted yet, start with what you know. Tell Metro about the truck, the machinery and how you need the finished vehicle to work.

Talk to Metro Truck Body Builders about your custom beavertail and request a quote.