Small cargo vans have been slowly transitioning out of the market, pushing many fleets to make the switch to pickup trucks.
Pickup truck equipment makes the transition easier to fit the same tools and equipment into a smaller space, but many are finding truck caps to be problematic.
Common issues include security, inflexible designs, ergonomics, and especially long lead times. Fortunately, all of these challenges can be resolved.
Challenge #1: You’re stuck with what you ordered.
When you order truck caps, you may not know whether you’ll need a ladder rack, a toolbox, or other add-on accessories in the future — especially if it’s your first time converting to a pickup truck.
In the current state, fleet owners must decide whether they want ladder racks or toolboxes at the time they place an order with the truck cap manufacturer. The trouble is if they aren’t sure at that time or change their minds later, they won’t have the option to add them.
Fleet needs change over time and if the truck cap you ordered can’t be modified to meet your requirements, it can negatively impact productivity, operator safety, or even force your hand to invest in a new truck cap or vehicle.
“We see this problem a lot with pickup fleets. There is no way for a fleet to guarantee its needs will be the same down the road, so manufacturing truck caps that don’t flex to fleet needs isn’t realistic. To deliver the most value, a truck cap needs to be able to accommodate upfit changes,” said Mike Filipiak, director of engineering for Adrian Steel. “That’s why we rolled out the new Adrian Steel truck cap, which features a modular design that makes customization easy — whether that happens on order or down the road.”
Challenge #2: Long lead times
One of the biggest truck cap challenges is the lead time.
The industry-standard lead time for truck toppers is no less than eight (8) weeks — but some manufacturers have as much as a 20-week lead time. Five months is a long time for trucks to be grounded, especially because owners are likely missing out on revenue opportunities while waiting for their trucks to be upfitted.
Adrian Steel has collapsed the lead time for truck caps down to just five days for manufacturing.
“Storing tops outside increases risk of damage from the elements,” said Katie Groves, Adrian Steel’s fleet national sales manager. “Once damaged, order to delivery lead time starts over again and your name goes to the bottom of the list. Adrian Steel developed a just-in-time model for our commercial grade-aluminum truck cap that avoids these issues and slashes lead times.”
Challenge #3: If your truck cap gets damaged, you have to buy a whole new one.
Let’s say a hailstorm blows through and you only have damage to one side of your truck cap. With most, you have to replace the entire cap.
With Adrian Steel’s new modular design, fleets only have to replace the damaged portion of the topper.
“We’ve experienced an uptick in weather-related truck cap damage lately, so we designed the new Adrian Cap so only the damaged portion needs to be replaced,” Groves explained. “This approach reduces waste, replacement cost, and vehicle down time.”
Adrian Steel’s modular design is also what allows for topper components to be stored safely indoors.
“Storing truck caps indoors is huge because it prevents damage from the elements. For most manufacturers, a damaged topper means the customer has to wait for another one to be produced, making an already-long lead time longer,” Groves said.
Challenge #4: Security
Truck caps need to do more than protect a truck bed’s contents from the elements; they also need to protect the contents from theft. That’s especially important for fleets, since the tools, materials, and equipment inside require a large investment.
Thieves will do anything to get inside a truck cap: pry it open, poke through it, or smash its locks. A topper needs to be made of material and equipped with locks that are tough enough to withstand a break in, but many don’t stand up to the task.
“It’s devastating, not to mention expensive, when a truck is burglarized. We manufacture our new pickup truck cap out of .08 commercial-grade aluminum, which is thicker than most toppers on the market and reduces the chance of punctures or being pried open easily,” said George Bernwanger, Adrian Steel’s chief engineer. “Our robust 3-point locking handles offer superior theft protection as well.”
Although the Adrian Steel truck cap prevents thieves from accessing a truck’s cargo space, drivers can access it far easier. The door access size is 30% larger than comparable toppers, making for effortless loading and fewer injuries for drivers.
Challenge #5: Graphics
When your truck cap features your logo and contact information, your truck does double duty as a vehicle and as a rolling advertisement for your business.
The trouble is graphics can be expensive and take time to install — which is extra painful if your pickup trucks have already been sitting for months waiting for a cap.
Adrian Steel has addressed both the time and expense issues.
Their truck caps have flat surfaces that are graphics friendly. This makes installation fast and easy, which in turn reduces graphic installation costs. Adrian Steel also installs graphics on site to save time and expenses.
“Adrian Steel installs graphics as part of the ship-thru process. This spares fleets from the time, expense, and hassle of transporting vehicles to another site for installation,” Groves said.
Ready to Solve Your Topper Troubles?
If you’ve been struggling with these common truck cap challenges, Adrian Steel’s pickup truck topper can ease your frustrations. Adrian Steel also offers purpose-built truck bed storage packages designed to increase productivity for fleet drivers, regardless of industry.
Truck Caps are currently available for the below models:
- Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 6.5’ & 8’ Bed – 2019 and Newer
- Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500 6.75’ & 8’ Bed – 2020 and Newer
- Ford F-150, 6.5’ & 8’ Bed – 2021 and Newer
- Ford F-250/350 6.75’ & 8’ Bed – 2017 and Newer
- Dodge Ram 1500/2500/3500, 6.3’ & 8’ – 2019 and Newer
Additional models coming in 2024 include:
- Ford Maverick, 4.5’ Bed
- Ford F-150, 5.5’ Bed
- Ford Lightning 5.5’ Bed
- Nissan Frontier 5’ & 6’ Bed
If you’d like to be notified about the latest Adrian Steel topper and pickup truck bed packages, sign up to receive updates.
