BESLER INDUSTRIES opened its
doors in the ‘70s to manufacture farm
products, including bale unrollers for
the backs of pickup trucks. In the early
‘90s, the company started building bale
unrollers into flatbeds, often referred to
as a “bale bed” or “armed bed.”
“In the past, we had dealers in certain
areas because they fed cattle with round
bales. That’s what we had – a bed built
with arms just for that purpose,” says
Besler Industries’ Cliff Kester.
While the bale unrollers were a huge help
to areas where cattle were prevalent,
there was still a good portion of the
country where that wasn’t needed. So,
Besler introduced its 6000 and 8000
Flatbed Series three years ago and the
product line has taken off.
The 6000 series is a quality-built flatbed
at a reasonable price. It’s something to
“go on a truck if you’re possibly wanting
a toolbox or two.”
The 8000 series, is Besler’s top-of-the-
line product, starting as a skirted flatbed
with four boxes under the deck. Kester
says that’s only the beginning. Something
that sets Besler apart is the modular
toolboxes the company offers to outfit
its beds.
“You can add the toolboxes you want
or need. They’re all individual toolboxes
that can be added any time,” Kester
explains.
The modular feature of the boxes means
that if the box is damaged at any point,
it can easily be taken off and either fixed
or replaced. The feature also gives the
customer the ability to adapt to changing
needs instead of being forced to buy a
whole new bed.
While modular toolboxes are a perfect
option for customers, it also allows
dealerships the ability to bring in
additional profits over the life of the
bed. Kester says a lot of dealers will
carry three different versions of a Besler
bed, giving customers an idea of what
they do long-term. Additional boxes
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may not be something they need at that
exact moment, but it’s great to know the
options exists down the road.
“They look at one of the boxes and
say, ‘I’ve got a welder. I’ve got an air-
compressor. I don’t want this box up
front,’” says Kester. “But they’d know
they can come back later to finish out
their box if needed.”
For dealers, additional revenue is also
baked into installation. The fact that the
boxes underneath are removable only
make it easier to install and attach the
bed. By removing the boxes, they have
the room to work underneath the truck
and can simply flip the boxes back in,
saving installation time.
A common question for flatbeds
generally arises with the paint. With
the likelihood that the bed will be used
in rough conditions, it’s nice to know
something was done to preserve the
life of the bed. Besler’s preservation
technique comes in the form of a 2-part
paint system.
“It’s primed and painted with a 2-part
component urethane enamel paint.
Basically, it’s the same quality of paint that
is on the truck. That’s what we’re after
– to have the paint on our bed hold up
as well as the paint on the vehicle. That’s
the goal,” says Kester.
In three short years, Besler Industries
has proved to be a mainstay in the truck-
bed community, and it doesn’t have any
intention of slowing down now. Most of
the business that rolls through Besler is
related to either its bale beds or flatbeds.
Kester says that while it takes time for
people to understand Besler has a new
product line, it is growing rapidly.
“The input from our dealers was, ‘You
want to go to a good show? Then, we
feel this one would be a good fit for
you.’ After doing some investigating, we
agreed with that. We’re looking forward
to exhibiting at the 2019 NATDA Trade
Show & Convention in September.
NATDA Magazine
29