Custom Aluminium Service Bodies for Trade Vehicles and Fleet Setups

Plan custom aluminium service bodies with Canfred Engineering in Melbourne for practical, vehicle-specific trade and fleet storage.

A well-planned service body gives a trade vehicle secure, accessible storage built around the tools and equipment it actually carries. We fabricate to the customer’s specifications, so the layout can suit the nominated vehicle and daily work rather than forcing crews to adapt to a standard body.

How Do Custom Aluminium Service Bodies Support Trade Work?

Custom aluminium service bodies can improve organisation and access while keeping unnecessary body weight under control. Aluminium offers a useful combination of strength, relatively low weight and corrosion resistance, but the completed vehicle must still remain within its legal mass and axle limits.

The commercial value comes from a layout that supports the work. Defined locations for tools, consumables and larger equipment can reduce searching, make stock checks easier and help keep loose items contained during travel. For fleets, repeating an approved layout across similar vehicles can also make changeovers simpler for drivers and technicians.

Before fabrication, we need accurate vehicle details and a realistic equipment list. Payload cannot be assessed from body material alone; it depends on the finished body, occupants, fuel, accessories, tools and cargo carried in service.

Plan Storage Before Fabrication Begins

Storage should be designed around frequency of use, item dimensions, security and safe access. Our custom fabrication services include service bodies, canopies, conduit carriers, roof racks, ladder racks, central locking, under-tray storage, tray covers and tray repairs.

Useful briefing details include:

• Vehicle information: Provide the make, model, cab type, wheelbase, tray or chassis details and intended mounting arrangement.
• Equipment inventory: List tools, machines, spare parts and consumables, including approximate dimensions and operating weights.
• Access priorities: Identify items needed most often and whether they should be reached from the side, rear or under the tray.
• Security requirements: Nominate lockable compartments, central locking needs and storage for higher-value equipment.
• Fleet consistency: Explain whether the design is a one-off or needs to be repeated across comparable vehicles.

Our guide to custom under-tray storage for trucks and vans explains how purpose-built compartments can use available space without taking over the main cargo area.

Check Vehicle Mass and Modification Requirements

A lighter body does not create unlimited payload. The completed setup must comply with the vehicle’s gross vehicle mass, axle ratings and applicable modification requirements. Equipment placement also matters because a vehicle may remain below its total mass limit while overloading an individual axle.

For heavy vehicles, the NHVR’s Vehicle Standards Bulletin 6 provides the national code for modifications, with technical sections covering different work. The appropriate vehicle modifier, engineer or registration authority should confirm which requirements and approvals apply to the proposed setup. Our fabrication work should therefore be scoped alongside any separate engineering, certification or installation responsibilities required for the vehicle.

To prepare an accurate enquiry, send us the vehicle specifications, photographs, drawings if available, equipment list, required compartments, access preferences and expected operating conditions. We can then review the fabrication scope and clarify what information is still needed before quoting.

Plan a Vehicle-Specific Build with Canfred Engineering

Canfred Engineering is a Melbourne-based aluminium fabricator with more than 40 years of experience. We produce original and one-off fabricated items to customer specifications, including transport storage products from our Bayswater workshop.

If custom aluminium service bodies are part of your fleet plan, request a tailored quotation. Share your vehicle and storage requirements with our team to start defining a practical fabrication scope.