FLAT TRAYS

Custom Flat Trays & Truck Trays Melbourne, Victoria & Tasmania

Metro Truck Body Builders designs and manufactures custom Flat Trays and steel truck trays in Melbourne for commercial working trucks. Built at Metro’s Seaford workshop in Melbourne’s south-east, each tray is configured around the cab chassis, available payload, what the truck needs to carry and how the vehicle will be used on the job.

At Metro, we call them Flat Trays. You may also see the same general body style described as a flat truck tray, flat tray truck body, flatbed truck tray or flatbed truck body. Whatever terminology brought you here, Metro’s work is focused on custom commercial truck tray fabrication, not ute trays, aluminium accessory trays or complete trucks for sale.

Flat Trays provide an open commercial carrying deck for freight, pallets, timber, building materials, tools, equipment and trade loads. They are used across construction, civil works, trades, landscaping, agriculture, equipment hire, councils, commercial fleets and general transport.

Metro does not start with one generic tray size and expect every truck to work around it. Tray dimensions, floor specification, structural arrangement, side combing, rope rails, load restraint, access, storage and fitted equipment are considered as part of the individual build.

See examples of Metro’s truck body fabrication and completed working trucks in Recent Builds.

What Is a Flat Tray Truck Body?

A Flat Tray truck body is an open commercial body designed to provide practical access to the carrying deck from the sides and rear.

Unlike a body with permanent sides, the open deck allows pallets, timber, building materials, equipment, machinery components and other commercial loads to be loaded from multiple directions. This makes Flat Trays particularly useful where forklifts, cranes or other loading equipment need access to the deck.

The term truck tray is also commonly used for this type of commercial body. “Flatbed” appears in some online searches, particularly through American terminology, but Metro and many Australian operators simply call it a Flat Tray.

The important part is not the name. It is whether the tray has been designed around the truck, available payload, intended load and the way the operator needs to work.

Custom Steel Truck Trays Built for Commercial Work

Metro builds custom steel truck trays for day-to-day commercial use rather than treating every vehicle as though it needs the same tray.

A concreter, timber supplier, courier carrying pallets, trade contractor, civil operator or council vehicle may all use a Flat Tray, but their trucks do not necessarily need the same body dimensions, floor specification, load restraint, storage or fitted equipment.

Metro works through the cab chassis, proposed load, available payload and working application before the tray specification is finalised.

If the proposed chassis is not suitable for the load or equipment the customer wants to carry, that needs to be identified before the body is built.

The aim is to produce a custom truck tray suited to the vehicle and its work rather than simply fit the biggest or heaviest tray possible.

3mm & 5mm Steel Flat Tray Floors

Metro commonly uses a 3mm steel floor on Flat Tray builds.

A heavier 5mm steel floor is available where the truck, loads and working conditions call for a heavier-duty specification.

Scott’s explanation is simple: a larger, heavier-duty truck doing heavier work gives you more reason to put heavier-duty material into the tray.

That does not mean thicker is automatically better.

Floor thickness contributes to the weight of the finished body, so it needs to make sense for the cab chassis, available payload and work being performed. Metro therefore specifies the floor as part of the complete steel truck tray rather than treating thickness as an isolated upgrade.

Flat Tray Dimensions Built Around the Cab Chassis

There is no single Metro Flat Tray size that suits every truck.

Flat Tray dimensions are determined around the cab chassis, available body space, payload, intended load and equipment that needs to form part of the completed vehicle.

A truck carrying pallets may require a different working deck from one carrying long timber, trade equipment, pipe or machinery components. Storage, towing equipment, racks and crane provision can also affect the usable body layout.

If you already know the dimensions you need, include them when requesting a quote. If you do not, tell Metro what the truck needs to carry and how you intend to use it.

Side Combing, Rope Rails & Load Restraint

A commercial Flat Tray needs appropriate ways to support and secure the loads it is designed to carry.

Metro can configure Flat Tray side combing using arrangements including PFC and RHS, with raised or flush configurations depending on the individual body design. Side pockets and gate pockets can also be incorporated where required.

Metro Flat Trays can include heavy-duty rope rails with laser-cut droppers, tie-down points and other load-restraint provisions suited to the truck and application.

Where the vehicle regularly carries a particular type of load, tell Metro during the design stage. Load restraint, storage and usable deck space need to work together rather than being considered separately after the tray has been built.

Flat Trays for Pallets, Freight & Commercial Transport

Flat truck trays are well suited to palletised freight and general commercial transport because the open deck provides access from multiple sides.

This can make loading and unloading more practical where forklifts or other handling equipment are used.

Metro builds custom truck trays for trucks carrying pallets, freight, equipment, building products and other commercial loads, with body dimensions and load-restraint provisions determined around the cab chassis and intended application.

If the work requires hinged sides to help contain materials during transport, compare the Flat Tray with Metro’s Custom Drop Side Trays.

Flat Trays for Trades, Construction & Civil Work

Metro builds commercial truck trays for trades, construction and civil work where an open carrying platform provides the access the operator needs.

Typical loads can include timber, building materials, tools, pipe, equipment and general job-site gear.

The Flat Tray can also become the foundation for a more complete working vehicle incorporating toolboxes, towing equipment, racks, lighting, electrical equipment, water storage or other fitted components.

Planning those requirements before fabrication allows the tray, storage and equipment to work together rather than competing for space once the body has already been built.

Flat Trays for Timber, Pipe & Long Materials

Trucks carrying timber, pipe, conduit and other long materials can require additional carrying support beyond the open tray deck.

Racks and supports can be incorporated where appropriate to the truck, load and intended application.

If the work also benefits from hinged sides and removable hurdles, compare a Flat Tray with Metro’s Drop Side Trays, which can be configured for long-material carrying applications.

Whether a Flat Tray or Drop Side Tray makes more sense depends on how much open access the operator needs and whether the load benefits from side containment.

Flat Tray Toolboxes & Custom Truck Storage

A custom Flat Tray can be developed into a complete working truck with storage arrangements integrated into the body layout.

Depending on the truck and available space, Metro can specify, supply and install behind-cab, on-tray and underbody storage. Toolbox configurations can include different heights, widths and door arrangements, including roller-door options where suitable.

Metro also accepts suitable standalone toolbox projects rather than restricting toolbox work to customers ordering a complete truck body.

For dedicated information about storage options, visit Custom Truck Toolboxes & Underbody Toolboxes.

Underbody Toolboxes for Flat Tray Trucks

Underbody truck toolboxes make use of suitable space beneath the tray while helping keep tools and equipment organised and accessible.

The correct toolbox dimensions and position depend on the truck, tray size, available clearance, access requirements and other equipment fitted to the vehicle.

Metro specifies, supplies, installs and integrates suitable toolbox arrangements into Flat Tray builds. Toolbox manufacture is sourced through specialist suppliers rather than represented as in-house Metro manufacture.

This gives the customer one point of contact for working out how storage fits with the custom truck tray and the complete vehicle.

Flat Tray Access, Steps & Safety Features

Where operators regularly need access to the deck, Metro can incorporate heavy-duty steps, non-slip step surfaces and safety grab handles into the body.

These details need to make sense when the truck is loaded and working, not merely when the tray is empty in the workshop.

Step position, toolbox placement, deck access and surrounding equipment are therefore considered together during the build.

Can Metro Build a Flat Tray With a Tow Bar?

Yes. Tow-bar provision can be incorporated where towing forms part of the truck’s work.

The correct towing setup depends on the truck and required capacity. Larger trucks and heavier towing requirements need equipment appropriate to the vehicle and application.

If the truck will tow regularly, tell Metro during the initial discussion so the towing setup can be considered alongside the Flat Tray, storage and other fitted equipment.

Flat Tray Crane Trucks & Truck-Mounted Crane Provision

Metro also builds Flat Tray truck bodies for truck-mounted crane installations.

A crane cannot simply be mounted onto a standard tray floor without considering the structure beneath it.

As Scott puts it, you cannot just stick a crane onto a bit of 3mm floor.

The selected crane, truck capacity and intended work determine the supporting structure, material, reinforcement, plating and engineering requirements needed for the installation.

Metro sources cranes through reputable specialist suppliers and can incorporate the required crane provision into a suitable new complete truck body build.

The crane itself is not manufactured by Metro. Metro’s role is to design and fabricate the body so the selected crane is appropriately integrated into the completed truck.

Flat Tray Options, Lighting & Commercial Equipment

Depending on the individual truck and specification, a custom Flat Tray build can incorporate additional equipment including tow bars, Redarc brake controllers, amber beacons, LED work lights, additional batteries, inverters, water tanks, fire-extinguisher mounting, racks and other commercial fit-out.

The goal is not to fill the truck with every available option. The useful equipment is the equipment the operator needs.

Metro works through those requirements as part of the body design so tray space, storage, electrical equipment and other components form one practical working vehicle.

Flat Tray vs Drop Side Tray: Which One Is Better?

Neither is automatically better. They solve different problems.

A Flat Tray provides unrestricted access to the deck from the sides and rear. This suits work where open loading access is the priority.

A Drop Side Tray adds hinged sides that help contain the load during transport while still allowing those sides to be lowered when loading or unloading.

If the truck regularly carries loose materials or loads that benefit from side containment, Drop Sides may make more sense.

If forklift access, pallets or completely open deck access are more important, a Flat Tray is likely to be the better starting point.

Flat Tray vs Beavertail Truck Body

A Flat Tray and Beavertail can both carry equipment, but they are designed around different loading requirements.

A Flat Tray truck body provides an open, level carrying deck.

A Beavertail Truck Body incorporates a sloping rear section and ramp system suited to machinery, plant and equipment that needs to be driven or moved onto the truck.

If regular machinery loading is the main purpose of the vehicle, a Beavertail deserves consideration. If unrestricted deck access is the main requirement, a Flat Tray is the more relevant body type.

Flat Tray vs Service Body

A Flat Tray focuses on open carrying capacity. A Truck Service Body focuses more heavily on organised storage and access to tools, parts and equipment in the field.

A Flat Tray can still include custom toolboxes and storage. Where enclosed compartments, equipment organisation and field access dominate the vehicle’s purpose, a Service Body may provide a better starting point.

Tell Metro how the truck is used rather than choosing a body simply because another business runs one.

Payload Matters When Designing a Custom Truck Tray

A physically larger tray does not increase the amount the truck is designed or permitted to carry.

Cab chassis capacity, body weight, fitted equipment and payload all form part of the completed vehicle.

A heavier floor, large toolboxes, tow bar, additional batteries, racks or crane provision all add weight to the truck.

That is why Metro considers truck body weight, available payload and intended load before the Flat Tray specification is finalised.

The goal is not maximum steel. The goal is the right body for the truck and its work.

If the proposed chassis is not suitable for what the customer wants the completed vehicle to do, it is better to identify that before steel is cut.

How Does Metro Design & Build a Custom Flat Tray?

Metro starts with the cab chassis and what the customer needs the truck to do.

Tray dimensions, floor specification, side structure, load restraint, toolboxes, towing, racks, access and other equipment are then worked through as part of the custom truck tray design.

Troy handles much of Metro’s quoting and technical design work and uses Fusion 360 3D modelling for custom builds before fabrication begins.

Scott runs the workshop and works alongside the fabrication team as the design becomes a finished body, keeping jobs moving through production and checking the work before the truck leaves Metro.

For broader questions about materials, design, payload, equipment and truck body fabrication, visit the Metro Truck Body FAQ.

Can Metro Repair or Modify an Existing Truck Tray?

Yes. An existing truck tray does not always need complete replacement.

Metro performs truck tray repairs and truck body modifications in Melbourne where the existing body is suitable for repair or alteration.

If your tray has damaged or worn components, or the truck’s working requirements have changed, send Metro photographs and explain what needs to be repaired or changed.

The team can then discuss the existing body and what the truck needs to do when the work is finished.

Custom Flat Tray Builders Melbourne & Victoria

Metro Truck Body Builders manufactures custom Flat Trays and steel truck trays in Seaford, Victoria, in Melbourne’s south-east.

The workshop works with commercial truck customers throughout Melbourne, including Seaford, Frankston, Carrum Downs, Dandenong, Cranbourne, the Mornington Peninsula and surrounding south-east Melbourne industrial areas.

Metro also undertakes suitable custom truck body projects for customers from regional Victoria and interstate.

If you are searching for truck tray builders in Melbourne, custom truck trays in Victoria, steel truck trays or Flat Tray truck bodies built around a commercial cab chassis, tell Metro what vehicle you have and what you need it to carry.

Custom Flat Trays for Regional Victoria & Tasmania

Metro welcomes suitable Flat Tray and custom truck body enquiries from regional Victoria and Tasmania.

For customers outside Melbourne, it helps to provide the cab chassis details, intended load, required dimensions and equipment early so Metro can work through the project before the truck arrives at the Seaford workshop.

Tasmanian businesses and truck operators around Hobart, Launceston, Devonport, Burnie and elsewhere can discuss suitable custom builds with Metro before arranging vehicle transport to Victoria.

The body still starts with the same things regardless of where the truck works: the truck, the load and the job.

Family-Owned Truck Tray Builders Since 1989

Metro Truck Body Builders has been building commercial truck bodies in Victoria since 1989.

The business remains family owned and is now run by Scott and Troy, who remain directly involved in quoting, design, customer communication and workshop production.

That matters on a custom tray because the people discussing what the customer needs remain close to the people responsible for building it.

From a straightforward steel Flat Tray to a complete working truck fitted with storage, towing equipment, racks, lighting or crane provision, Metro applies the same principle: work out what the vehicle needs to do, then build around it.

Read the story behind the business on Family Owned Since 1989.

See Metro Flat Tray & Truck Body Builds

Specifications explain how a body is built. Finished trucks show what Metro does with them.

Visit Recent Builds to see completed Metro truck bodies, fabrication details and working vehicle configurations.

Real builds are useful when planning a new truck because they show how storage, racks, towing equipment, cranes and other features have been incorporated into previous commercial vehicles.

Flat Tray FAQs

Does Metro build custom Flat Trays in Melbourne?

Yes. Metro designs and fabricates custom Flat Trays and steel truck trays in Melbourne from its workshop in Seaford, Victoria. Each tray is built around the cab chassis, available payload, intended load and working application.

What is the difference between a Flat Tray and a flatbed truck tray?

They generally describe the same broad style of open commercial truck body. Metro uses the Australian industry term Flat Tray. “Flatbed” is more common in American terminology and some online searches.

Does Metro build aluminium truck trays?

No. Metro’s Flat Tray work is focused on custom steel truck trays for commercial trucks. Metro does not manufacture aluminium trays or ute accessory trays.

What thickness steel floor does Metro use on Flat Trays?

Metro commonly uses a 3mm steel floor on Flat Tray builds, with a heavier 5mm floor available where the truck, load and working conditions call for a heavier-duty specification. The appropriate floor is selected as part of the complete body design.

Can Metro add toolboxes to a Flat Tray?

Yes. Depending on the truck and available space, Metro can integrate behind-cab, on-tray and underbody storage into a Flat Tray build. See Custom Truck Toolboxes & Underbody Toolboxes for more information.

Can Metro build a Flat Tray for pallets and forklift loading?

Yes. Flat Trays are well suited to palletised freight and applications where open side access is useful for forklift loading. Tray dimensions and load-restraint provisions are configured around the truck and intended load.

Can Metro build a Flat Tray with a truck-mounted crane?

Metro can incorporate crane provision into suitable new complete Flat Tray builds. The selected crane, cab chassis, payload and intended work affect the supporting structure, reinforcement and engineering requirements, so the crane needs to be considered during the body design.

Can Metro repair an existing Flat Tray?

Yes. Metro undertakes suitable truck tray repairs and modifications from its Seaford workshop. Send photographs of the existing tray and explain what is damaged or what needs to change.

Get a Quote for a Custom Flat Tray

To start a custom Flat Tray or truck tray quote, tell Metro what cab chassis you have and what the truck needs to carry.

Useful information includes:

• Truck make and model
• Cab chassis details
• Required tray dimensions, if known
• Typical loads and payload requirements
• Preferred floor specification, if known
• Side combing and load-restraint requirements
• Toolboxes and storage
• Racks or long-material carrying requirements
• Towing requirements
• Lighting and electrical equipment
• Crane requirements
• Any existing drawings or specifications

If you do not have every detail sorted yet, start with what you know. Tell Metro what the truck needs to do.

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