Last month at the NTEA work truck show, General Motors announced that it will expand its “box delete” option to all truck classifications in its fleet. As of publication, GM is the only company to offer this option throughout its line of trucks.
For the uninitiated, the “box” refers to the bed of the truck. In a vehicle with the box delete option, the box, rear bumper, and spare tire assembly are all removed from the truck by the manufacturer before delivery. GM will outfit trucks with this feature with high-rate rear springs and a front stabilizer bar borrowed from the Max Trailering Package. Those additions translate into the best possible performance when operating close to the truck’s maximum gross vehicle weight rating, which varies depending which vehicle serves as the base for the modification.
The option is being made available to both fleet customers and the general public. Produced largely in Michigan, it can be found on the 1500 series Regular Cab Chevy Silverado, the GMC Sierra, the GMC Canyon, and the Chevy Colorado. According to Ed Peper, the US Vice President of General Motors, the change is being made after numerous requests from business customers over the past few years. In the official press statement he said, “We are in the business of meeting our customer’s needs by providing a range of products and solutions that fit their businesses.”
The box delete alternative configuration is intended to service small businesses. Designed with the upfitter community in mind, the option will make it easier to modify trucks with flat beds, boxes, truck-mounted equipment, and to meet other specialized needs. Engineers worked with fleet owners and body manufacturers on the redesign, which included a displaced optional fuel filler mounting location for custom arrangements where the current mount is inconvenient.
With the box gone, the truck has a lighter weight rating. Some companies will add more weight in the form of additional equipment, but as a standalone feature the box delete option has an increased payload. For example, the Colorado would have a 2200 pound rating. This makes the feature tempting for businesses that use their trucks mostly for towing, since less weight translates to improved fuel efficiency. It’s also useful for landscaping companies and other businesses where the bed is mostly in the way of daily work.
Every box delete truck will come with removable tail lamps installed in the traditional position on the frame’s rear where they can easily be moved to accommodate a specialty configuration. There are eight body mount positions, four on each side and two possible locations for the fuel filler mount. The modified trucks will come with the Z82 trailering package and he G80 locking differential. Although the spare mount has been detached, the trucks still come standard with a full sized spare tire.
From a financial standpoint, the box delete expansion will save companies a respectable amount of capital when setting up their fleets. It was included as a feature only on full-sized trucks before, meaning companies had to either buy a larger vehicle than they needed or spend extra money taking the bed off a standard mid-sized truck. A box delete full sized 2500 series truck retails for $33,475 and up while a 1500 series Regular Cab box delete costs a mere $29,255. With a price difference of $4000 per vehicle, the savings easily tips into the tens of thousands for companies needing several trucks.
Excited by the new feature? Drop by the Heidebreicht showroom in Washington, Michigan to see how our vehicles can meet your business needs.
