Should You Get the Ford Super Duty Pickup or Chassis Cab?

If you’re shopping for commercial trucks for sale to add to your fleet, then it’s important you get models that can handle your daily operations. Ford makes several excellent and tough trucks that are great for anyone who owns or runs a construction business, agricultural business, moving business, waste collection business, or any other type of fleet. However, exactly how you use your trucks each day will determine whether you need a “regular” pickup like the Super Duty (we put “regular” in quotations there because it’s no ordinary truck) or a chassis cab model.

Ford offers both regular and chassis cab versions of the Super Duty lineup, but which one is right for you? Below, we’ll cover the key differences between these two types of trucks and the common applications for each one. We’ll also go over some questions you can ask yourself to determine which one is best for your business.

How Is a Chassis Cab Different From a Pickup?

If you’ve run your business for a long time, then you’re likely familiar with the differences between a chassis cab and a regular pickup. However, if you’re new to your industry or expanding your operations to require a new type of commercial truck, you might not know about chassis cabs.

A regular pickup has a cab and a bed. The cab is where passengers sit, and the bed is behind the cab, where you can put your tools, materials, equipment, and other goods. However, in a chassis cab truck, that bed has been stripped away. You’re left with a highly customizable platform that you can upfit for nearly any operation.

What Can You Do With a Chassis Cab Truck?

Now that we understand what a chassis cab truck is let’s talk about what you can do with your chassis cab. Every industry has developed specific upfits that best fit their needs. Below are some common applications for a Ford chassis cab model.

Dump Bodies

A chassis cab is the exact type of truck you’ll need if you want to add a dump body to the back of your pickup bed. If you have to transport loose materials like gravel, dirt, sand, or rocks, and you need the option to release it all rapidly out the back tailgate, you want a dump body. These are perfect for businesses in the construction industry, landscaping, and mining. Dump trucks are, of course, also used for waste management services.

Crane Upfits

If you need to add a large crane to the back of your pickup, you’ll need a chassis cab. You can not only add a crane, but you can also add a bucket to lift workers up to hard-to-reach places, like roofs or tall trees, making this great for commercial electricians, landscapers, painters, and even window washers. If you need to send an employee high up in the air—higher than would be safe to do on a ladder—then you likely need a crane and bucket upfit.

Service Bodies

Service bodies generally combine some of the utility of a normal pickup bed but add storage boxes, racks, and other modifications designed for your line of work. A service body can even be as simple as just a box that sits on the back of the truck and is used for carrying tools and other materials. You can build shelves into them and give them either an open or closed design, depending on the application.

Differences Between the Super Duty and Super Duty Chassis Cab

Other than the rear, there are a few other key differences between the Ford Super Duty and the Ford Super Duty Chassis Cab. While they may share a name, many of the underpinnings are different, with the Chassis Cab being a bit more rugged and aimed purely at commercial buyers.

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating

The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is the maximum weight your truck can support. That includes the truck itself, any upfits, passengers, and cargo. GVWR is particularly important for fleet operators as trucks with a GVWR of over 26,000 lbs require a commercial driver’s license.

The Super Duty Chassis Cab has a much higher maximum GVWR than the Super Duty pickup. While the pickup’s maximum GVWR sits around 14,000 lbs for the F-350 and F-450, the F-600 Chassis Cab has a GVWR of 22,000 lbs. The F-650 and F-750 Medium Duty Chassis Cab models have even higher GVWRs.

Towing Figures

A simple way to think about chassis cabs versus regular pickup trucks is that Super Duty Chassis Cab models are great for hauling heavy weights, while Super Duty pickups are ideal for towing lots of weight behind them. That’s because the 2024 Ford F-450 Super Duty can tow up to 40,000 lbs with a fifth wheel or gooseneck setup.

Alternatively, the 2024 Super Duty Chassis Cab has a maximum towing figure of 34,900 lbs, and that can only be achieved by getting the massive F-600 model. If the majority of the weight your business needs to transport will be towed rather than hauled, consider the Ford Super Duty pickup.

Other Considerations

There are a few other things to consider when deciding between the Ford Super Duty pickup and the Super Duty Chassis Cab trucks.

Are You Prepared to Upfit Your Trucks?

Keep in mind that a chassis cab is not ready for work straight from the factory. You will still need to upfit its rear with the equipment that moves your business forward (like a crane, dump body, or service body). If you are unsure what upfitting requires, our commercial sales team will be happy to help you out and recommend upfitters and options.

Will Your Operations Be the Same Day-To-Day?

If you know that you will solely be using your trucks for the same operations every day, then you can commit to a chassis cab truck. Just keep in mind that it is a commitment. The Super Duty pickup is a little more versatile in that you can alternate what you do with your bed from one day to the next. But once you upfit a chassis cab truck, the rear can only be used for one sole operation. For this reason, many businesses choose to have both pickup trucks and chassis cab trucks in their fleet.

Find Your Commercial Trucks at The Ford Store San Leandro

If you are looking for commercial trucks for your business, we’d love to assist you in selecting the perfect Ford models. Our dedicated commercial sales team has extensive experience in helping business owners find the trucks that support their operations and move their businesses forward. If you aren’t sure what type of truck you need or what capabilities you require, our team members will know which questions to ask to narrow down your search. We specialize in pairing business owners from a range of industries with the trucks that complement their operations.

We can also guide you through upfitting your truck. Speak to our technicians about what you want to do with your pickup, and we’ll give you the information and support you need to turn your fleet into fully functional machines ready to handle the work you do every day.

We’re always bringing in more inventory, like the Ford Super Duty pickups and Chassis Cab models. We will work with you to get you a bulk price that works for your operating budget when purchasing multiple trucks. It’s our business to aid you in your business, so sit down with one of our commercial sales experts. You can discuss your budget and operations with them to find options that work for your goals.