NTEA’s AISBM helps ensure continuation of pickup box removal programs

This article was published in the February 2020 edition of NTEA News.

American Institute of Service Body Manufacturers (AISBM), founded in 1979, is one of the oldest NTEA affiliate divisions. Primarily composed of utility, service and crane body manufacturers, the group works closely with OEMs on issues relating to utility/service body installation on chassis. 

AISBM is focused on preserving the variety of chassis available for pickup box removal. As part of these efforts, members provide insight and support to specific OEMs during their next-generation vehicle development process.

Testing programs cover wide areas of development, such as fuel fill requirements for Environmental Protection Agency and Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) compliance, FMVSS safety testing, electrical interface issues and body mounting techniques. Cooperation between body manufacturers and chassis OEMs enables box removal programs to continue for a variety of pickups in the work truck market. Without OEM support, it would be too costly for a body manufacturer to perform necessary tests to certify a vehicle to current safety and emissions requirements.

Chassis design guide
AISBM published Chassis Design Considerations for the Service Body Industry to help OEM product development and engineering teams understand service/utility body manufacturer needs when designing bodies for their new pickup and chassis-cab versions. This publication addresses key items the service body industry would like OEMs to consider during new vehicle design and development, along with periodic updates to their existing chassis.

Quarterly survey
The group conducts a quarterly body shipments survey of its members, the results of which offer insight into the production and sale of service, utility and crane bodies.

Learn more at ntea.com/aisbm or email Bob Raybuck, NTEA director of technical services, at bob@ntea.com.