Flatbed trucks are made to take a lot of abuse. But while most areas of flatbeds are reinforced to withstand greater loads, impacts and abrasions, the majority of these trucks only have their standard paint to protect the metal. Enter LINE-X armor – and its immense protective powers.
The owners of a local welding shop were becoming extremely frustrated at having to constantly repaint the beds of their trucks due to steel and other metalwork scratching the paint during hauling. Company image was very important to the owners so they needed a solution for the trucks that would last longer and protect better than the paint, while keeping the professional look of the trucks.
Three new flatbeds were brought in to a local LINE-X store prior to being installed on the trucks. Each was sandblasted on both the top and the bottom, masked off and primed with LINE-X SF-515 product. Once the primer was ready, the applicator coated the ute tray with XS-100 automotive coating in black, paying careful attention to clearances for doors and hinges. (On the top of the bed and on areas that are exposed to high wear, 125 mils is best; on areas such as around brake lights 80-90 mils is appropriate). The customer picked up the finished beds from LINE-X and installed them on the trucks. Each flatbed took approximately two days to complete.
LINE-X XS-100 combined the durability and protection the customers needed with customized, premium-quality looks/style to keep the company image intact. As an added benefit, the LINE-X store also performed custom paint work on company’s horseshoe handles. The results spoke for themselves: The flatbeds were much better protected against daily wear of the steel and metalworks. The maintenance cycle has also been extended by over four times the previous rate – saving the customer time and money over the long-haul.