This year has been economically challenging for businesses, particularly in the industrial and transportation sectors. With volatile fuel prices and new tariffs, the transportation sector and heavy industry must adapt. At Ressorts Industriels Laval / C.T. CAM, we work with businesses to help them adapt. To do so, we focus on upgrading their existing vehicle fleets.

We routinely perform chassis modifications for commercial fleets. Your vehicle’s chassis is its backbone; it supports all of the vehicle’s “running gear,” including the engine, transmission, rear axle assembly in rear-wheel-drive vehicles, and all suspension components. Given the large number of components involved, modifying your chassis is more complicated than it seems.

For companies that use heavy-duty vehicles, chassis modifications are an effective solution. Adapting existing vehicles for new tasks helps maximize their efficiency. In this article, we discuss why our corporate partners choose to order chassis modifications for their commercial fleets, as well as how a certified and specialized repair shop can help you make this transition.

Useful terms

Also discussed in our article: What are the classes of heavy trucks in Quebec?

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): refers to the maximum safe weight of a vehicle when fully loaded. This figure, calculated to ensure road safety, takes into account various weights, such as the vehicle itself, its passengers, and the equipment it carries.

Heavy vehicles (Class 7): vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) between 11,794 kg and 14,969 kg. Typically three or more axles. Includes municipal dump trucks, buses, moving trucks, etc.

Heavy trucks (Class 8): vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) exceeding 14,969 kg. Includes dump trucks, cement trucks, semi-trailers, and various specialized industrial vehicles.

Heavy trucks (Class 9): Special-purpose vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) exceeding 27,215 kg. This class is required for transporting special and oversized loads on highways.

Safety inspection: Your vehicle must be inspected before any modifications are made, including a road test to check handling, cornering, and the absence of vibrations, etc. An alignment inspection would check the rear axle(s) and chassis to assess the vehicle’s overall condition.

Truck Chassis Modification for Commercial Fleets

Most commercial vehicles can be modified to meet the specific needs of each business. Heavy-duty vehicle chassis can be adjusted in length (by extending or shortening the chassis) or reinforced to change their payload capacity.

For example, we can convert a semi-trailer chassis from 6 wheels to 10 wheels, and vice versa. This modification would allow for the modernization of the commercial fleet or an increase in the tonnage carried, without requiring a massive investment.

Companies can take advantage of this type of modification to keep aging vehicles in service or to adapt to changing market conditions. A dump truck chassis, for example, can be shortened to reduce its capacity, but also to lower its fuel consumption.

Chassis modifications include:

• Modifications to the vehicle’s wheelbase.
• Changes to the vehicle’s intended use.
• Repair of damaged frames.
• And even more, depending on your specific needs.

What do you plan to do with your truck once it has been shortened or lengthened? Perhaps you want to improve the truck’s appearance. Or maybe you want to lighten the vehicle a bit, since you’ve switched to a larger model. To help you decide whether or not to shorten your truck’s chassis, ask yourself what results you’re hoping to achieve.

There are several reasons why companies choose to modify the chassis of their commercial fleets. We explore a few of them below.

Vehicle Reclassification

Once the vehicle has been shortened or lengthened, it may even be reclassified into a different category. Reclassification depends on its load capacity, its new intended use, and other factors.

Upgrading a chassis to obtain a new classification allows certain tasks to be performed without taking risks. For example, a transportation company without Class 9 vehicles is strictly limited to a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 14,969 kg. However, if the company chooses to have a vehicle it already owns lengthened and reinforced, it will be able to perform these tasks while avoiding the cost of purchasing one or more new vehicles.

Quick update of the commercial fleet

Without going so far as to reclassify the vehicle, modifying its chassis can give it a new purpose within your commercial fleet. A visit to the shop allows you to change a vehicle’s role in your strategy, enabling it to hit the road more frequently. Chassis modifications thus help you optimize your operations and adapt to market realities.

For example, a moving company might realize that certain truck sizes are no longer as popular as they once were. However, it notices that other truck types are constantly on the road. Rather than purchasing new vehicles, it can convert the chassis of the less popular moving trucks to the more popular dimensions. Such a quick conversion would allow it to meet demand and adapt its fleet at a lower cost.

Reducing maintenance costs for the commercial fleet

An important aspect of updating your commercial fleet is reducing maintenance costs. In fact, vehicles that are not suited to the tasks and loads they are required to handle can cause maintenance costs to skyrocket.

If a vehicle struggles to carry a load, it consumes more fuel, and its components wear out much faster. While not quite as problematic, the opposite is also true: a heavier vehicle performing tasks that are “too small” uses more fuel than necessary. At the level of a single vehicle, these inefficiencies are almost invisible. However, on the scale of an entire fleet, thousands of dollars are lost every month, and this eventually hurts the company’s revenue.

Furthermore, using vehicles that are not properly adapted drastically increases the risk of accidents. An accident costs far more in repairs, insurance, and compensation than making the necessary modifications to your fleet’s chassis beforehand.

A trusted partner for upgrading your heavy-duty vehicle fleet

There are obviously limits to what a specialized garage can do by modifying only your vehicle chassis. However, truck chassis modification for commercial fleets is still much less expensive than completely replacing your vehicles. If you need help upgrading your vehicle fleet—whether it consists of snow removal vehicles, sanitation vehicles, light trucks, or semi-trucks—contact our truck shop in Laval to discuss your needs with us. We understand your challenges and work closely with businesses to maximize their efficiency on the road. Plus, we’re always available to perform the routine maintenance you need.