Not All Tray Bodies Are the Same
Tray bodies are one of the most versatile truck body configurations in Australian industry, but “tray” covers a wide range of designs. Choosing the right tray type for your specific work can improve load security, speed up your loading and unloading, and reduce fatigue on your operators. Here’s a breakdown of the three most common configurations.
Flat Tray: The Workhorse
A flat tray is the simplest and most adaptable configuration. With no fixed sides, a flat tray gives you maximum flexibility — you can carry long materials like pipe and timber, load via crane from any angle, or strap down machinery of any shape. Flat trays are common on light and medium rigids used in construction, landscaping, and general transport.
The trade-off is that you’re responsible for load restraint on all four sides. For materials that shift or roll, you’ll need headboards, stanchions, or tie-down rails as standard fitments. VN Truck Bodies can incorporate these into any flat tray build.
Drop-Side Tray: Loaded from the Side
Drop-side trays have hinged sides that fold down to allow side-loading from forklifts, pallet jacks, or by hand. They’re the standard choice for construction materials delivery, pallet freight, and any operation where a loading dock or forklift isn’t always available.
Side heights of 300mm–500mm are typical, and drop-sides can be full-length or split for partial opening. Steel or aluminium, with the option of solid or rail sides — the build options are extensive. If you’re loading by hand regularly, drop-sides reduce lifting height and speed up turnaround significantly.
Tilt Tray: Built for Easy Unloading
Tilt trays use a hydraulic mechanism to tip the load bed rearward, allowing cargo to slide off or be positioned without a crane. They’re used in vehicle transport, machinery hire, earthmoving equipment delivery, and anywhere you need to pick up and drop off heavy or wheeled equipment without additional lifting gear on-site.
Tilt trays require more engineering — the hydraulic system, pivot points, and body structure all need to handle significant dynamic loads. They’re heavier than equivalent flat or drop-side builds, so GVM calculations are important to ensure you’re not sacrificing payload.
Other Considerations
Whatever tray type you choose, think about: headboard height and construction (for load restraint and cab protection), under-tray toolboxes for equipment storage, tyre carrier positions, and whether you need a crane mount or hi-ab provision. All of these are standard fitment options at VN Truck Bodies.
Get a Quote on Your Tray Body Build
VN Truck Bodies designs and builds custom tray bodies in Melbourne for light, medium, and heavy rigids. Talk to our team about your application and we’ll recommend the right configuration. Call us on 03 9798 2573 or visit 17 Cambria Road, Keysborough VIC 3173.
