Charlton Bodies Limited

What Charlton Bodies Limited does

Charlton Bodies Limited is a UK specialist truck bodybuilder headquartered in Dover, Kent, operating from a 7-acre manufacturing facility and employing more than 50 people. The company designs and builds commercial vehicle bodies across seven branded ranges — SuperLite, GrabLite, Quarrymaster, PlantLite, BuildLite, BrickLite and RoadLite — plus a Specials division for bespoke one-off builds, primarily using Hardox steel with CNC plasma cutting, sheet metal pressing and water-based paint finishing. It has been a subsidiary of the Thompsons Group since 2003, the UK's largest tipper bodybuilder operating seven factories and holding over 50% of the UK tipper market.

The business sells directly to B2B fleet customers across haulage, local authority, aggregates, plant hire, building supplies, brick and waste management verticals, with pricing on a custom per-build basis. Two aftermarket extensions supplement the core build revenue: the TOTAL after-sales support package covering parts, servicing and refurbishment under fleet-wide contracts, and the eParts online parts ordering platform. A dedicated paint and refurbishment subsidiary, Charlton Vehicle Finishers Ltd, also services third-party commercial vehicle operators, providing a third revenue stream beyond the core body-build business.

The company has stated that turnover, profitability and headcount have increased every year for over a decade, supported by continuous facility investment, an expanded product portfolio and ongoing multi-vehicle fleet deliveries. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the company does not publish pricing.

Name

Charlton Bodies Limited

Legal name

Charlton Bodies Ltd

Website

https://charltonbodies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UK specialist truck bodybuilder in Dover, Kent, designing and manufacturing seven branded tipper and commercial vehicle body ranges plus bespoke builds for haulage, aggregates, plant hire, local authority, building supplies and waste management customers as part of Thompsons Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Truck Bodies

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing (336211), Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing (33621)

SIC

Truck & Bus Bodies (3713)

akta.pro primary industry

Truck Body & Upfit Manufacturing (Box/Dump/Service/Refuse) (IMACAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Vocational/Work Truck Manufacturing (Dump/Refuse/Mixer/Utility) (IMACABAF)

Keywords

• Truck body manufacturing
• Specialist vehicle bodybuilding
• Commercial truck bodies
• Tipper body builders
• Vehicle body engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Dover

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Truck Body Manufacturing and Sales: Design, manufacture, and sale of specialist truck bodies to commercial vehicle operators. Bodies are built to customer specifications, either standard models or bespoke designs. Revenue is generated from the sale of new bodies fitted to truck chassis.
2. Parts Sales (eParts): Internet-based parts ordering system offering over 6,000 parts lines including hydraulic parts, electrical parts, mechanical parts, crane parts, health & safety parts, and large parts. Combined with ease of ordering, rapid delivery and competitive pricing.
3. After-Sales Service and Support: TOTAL comprehensive after-sales support package introduced in 2016 offering warranty, on-site service, factory repairs, parts delivery, and technical support. Service and repair to bodies at customer premises or on-site.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Charlton Bodies Limited designs, manufactures, and sells specialist commercial truck bodies for UK vehicle operators across industries including tipping/construction, building supply, plant and machinery transport, highways, local authorities, and waste management. The company produces seven core body product lines (SuperLite, BuildLite, PlantLite, GrabLite, RoadLite, BrickLite, Quarrymaster) as well as bespoke 'Specials' tailored to individual customer requirements, all built in-house at its Dover facility using CNC plasma cutting, sheet metal pressing, and water-based painting.

Product overview

Charlton Bodies Limited is the UK's leading specialist truck bodybuilder offering a range of seven core product lines: SuperLite (lightweight all-steel tipper for versatility), GrabLite (crane/grab-compatible tipper), Quarrymaster (heavy duty double-skinned tipper), PlantLite (plant and machinery transporter), BuildLite (multi-purpose building trade body), BrickLite (brick/block bulk distributor), and RoadLite (highways specialist). The company also offers bespoke Specials for unique requirements and provides comprehensive after-sales support through the TOTAL package and eParts online ordering system. Charlton operates as part of the Thompsons Group and provides complete in-house manufacturing from bare chassis to finished painted vehicle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SuperLite: All-steel tipper body offering highest payload in its class with smooth one-piece sides, typically around 19.5t with latest-spec 8x4 chassis.
• BuildLite
• PlantLite
• GrabLite
• RoadLite
• BrickLite
• Quarrymaster
• TOTAL

Products and services

• SuperLite

Quantifiable outcome

• SuperLite delivers typically 19.5 tonnes payload with latest-spec 8x4 chassis
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Thompsons GroupcoreOthers · 1 January 2003Charlton joined forces with Thompsons Group, the UK's leading tipper bodybuilder, in 2003. Charlton is one of the Group's seven truck bodybuilding factories in the UK. Thompsons' primary focus is on high volume production of standard bodies while Charlton provides specialist bodywork solutions across a broader range of industries. Charlton plays a key role in the Group's TOTAL nationwide after-sales support service.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Foremost Bodies: UK specialist commercial vehicle bodybuilder producing tipper, dropside, beavertail and crane loader bodies for haulage and construction — directly comparable product range and customer base to Charlton.
• Brit-Tipp: UK tipper and tipper/grab body manufacturer serving aggregates, construction and haulage operators — directly overlapping with Charlton's SuperLite, GrabLite and Quarrymaster product lines.
• M&G Trailers: UK manufacturer of tipper and dump trailers/bodies for haulage and agricultural sectors. Comparable in product scope (tipping and dump bodies), materials (Hardox/steel) and target customers to Charlton.
• Westfield Trucks & Services: UK commercial vehicle bodybuilder offering tipper, dropside and crane loader bodies — directly comparable product mix and customer base to Charlton's tipping/construction line-up.
• Marshall Vehicle Conversions: UK specialist vehicle converter producing tippers, dropsides and bespoke commercial vehicle bodies for fleet operators — comparable specialist, low-volume manufacturing model and customer mix.
• Thompsons Group: UK's leading tipper bodybuilder and Charlton's parent group. Thompsons operates seven truck bodybuilding factories including Charlton and is the closest direct peer — sharing customer base, supply chain, eParts platform and TOTAL after-sales infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Scania (Great Britain): Major commercial vehicle OEM active in the UK; Charlton regularly bodies Scania chassis for UK tipper operators (e.g., the Bristol & Avon 660hp V8 Scania). Comparable end-customer footprint at the chassis level.
• Dennis Eagle: UK specialist vehicle manufacturer focused on refuse collection and emergency vehicles. Comparable in producing specialist commercial vehicle bodies, but operates at significantly larger scale across a broader municipal/utility customer base.
• DAF Trucks UK: Major UK commercial vehicle OEM whose chassis underpin Charlton's tipper and specialist bodies. Comparable end customers and supply chain; broader incumbent with much larger scale and full truck portfolio.

Emerging players

• Tevva Motors: UK-based electric medium-duty truck manufacturer. Relevant as an emerging UK commercial vehicle player whose future chassis platforms will require redesigned specialist bodies — an adjacent opportunity and disruption vector for Charlton.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebooken-gb.facebook.com/charltonbodies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/charlton-bodies-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Charlton Bodies Limited