12 Ideas For Lightweighting Your Trucks

Diesel-powered trucks and tractors have gotten hundreds of pounds heavier in the last decade or so because of pollution-control equipment and bigger radiators. Paring tare weight can help make up for it.
A lighter vehicle costs a bit less to propel down the road, and more legal payload can be stacked, poured or piled aboard its body or in the trailer.
Lightweight components are priced higher than those made of standard materials, so it’s wise to calculate payback, in improved fuel economy and how many trips can actually be made fully loaded to generate the theoretical extra revenue. Also, are there any penalties in durability and longevity?
Over the years, manufacturers have designed vehicles and components to reduce weight, and fleets have tried many of them. From their wisdom, we offer a dozen lightweighting ideas for Class 8 trucks and tractors.