Reading Truck Equipment

What Reading Truck Equipment does

Reading Truck Equipment, operating as The Reading Truck Group, is a U.S. manufacturer of work truck bodies founded in 1961 and headquartered in the United States with 26 company-owned Reading Truck Centers across 15+ states. The company designs and builds a comprehensive portfolio of commercial truck bodies, including service bodies, enclosed bodies, crane bodies, aerial bodies, dump and landscape bodies, hauler and platform bodies, plus specialized variants such as the Combo Body, RHD Service Body, and RM Crane Bodies family. Beyond manufacturing, the company provides truck upfitting, custom modification (via GTB Custom Shop), parts and accessories, and maintenance services through its physical footprint and authorized distributor network. Reading Truck is a wholly owned subsidiary of J.B. Poindexter & Co., a diversified manufacturing conglomerate, from which it draws corporate resources, manufacturing expertise, and economies of scale.

The company's revenue model is built on three streams: hardware sales of custom-built truck bodies, professional upfitting services and installation, and parts and accessories resale. It operates a sales-led, consultative go-to-market motion targeting enterprise fleet operators and mid-market customers through direct field sales, a dedicated Fleet Solutions team, an authorized distributor channel, and a newer Ready to Roll e-commerce storefront. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, reflecting a custom-engineered B2B sales process. Primary customer segments are service trade professionals (plumbers, electricians, HVAC), construction and landscape companies, and fleet operators needing standardized, durable work truck solutions.

The company is privately held under J.B. Poindexter & Co., with no public listing, no disclosed funding rounds, and no external venture or private equity investment identified. No revenue, headcount, or financial figures are publicly disclosed. The marketing approach combines social media, content, industry events, and a partner hub for distributors. The technology stack is fundamentally mechanical and industrial, with no AI/ML, software platform, or API integration evidence present in the available data.

Name

Reading Truck Equipment

Legal name

The Reading Truck Group

Website

https://readingequipment.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Reading Truck Equipment is a U.S. manufacturer of work truck bodies (service, enclosed, crane, aerial, dump, landscape, hauler, platform) founded in 1961, serving fleet operators, contractors, and trade professionals across 26 company-owned locations and an authorized distributor network as a subsidiary of J.B. Poindexter & Co.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Work 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 & Upfitting Manufacturing (Box Bodies/Service Bodies/Cranes/Liftgates) (IMACABAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Work truck bodies
• Truck upfitting services
• Service body manufacturing
• Commercial truck equipment
• Fleet vehicle solutions

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Truck Body Sales: Reading Truck manufactures and sells work truck bodies including service bodies, enclosed bodies, crane bodies, aerial bodies, dump bodies, landscape bodies, hauler bodies, and platform bodies. Revenue is generated through one-time hardware sales of custom-built truck bodies.
2. Truck Upfitting Services: The company customizes, upfits and maintains work trucks for companies and fleets. Services include expert installation, parts, equipment, and accessories through 26 locations.
3. Parts & Accessories: Sales of parts and accessories including air compressors, cargo control, lighting, power/electric, replacement parts, safety & security, storage solutions, towing, trailers & trailer parts, and truck caps.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Reading Truck Equipment designs, manufactures, and sells work truck bodies—including service bodies, enclosed bodies, crane bodies, aerial bodies, dump and landscape bodies, and hauler and platform bodies—for commercial and fleet customers. The company also provides truck upfitting, parts, and maintenance services through 26 locations across the United States, with customization capabilities through the GTB Custom Shop.

Product overview

Reading Truck Equipment is a manufacturer of work truck bodies with over 65 years of experience. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of truck body products including Service Bodies, Enclosed Bodies, Crane Bodies, Aerial Bodies, Dump & Landscape Bodies, and Hauler & Platform Bodies. Beyond manufacturing, the company provides truck upfitting services, maintenance, and fleet solutions across 26 locations. The product lineup ranges from specialized bodies like the Combo Body (service storage + open platform) and RHD Service Body to the RM Crane Bodies family, serving commercial fleets and contractors requiring custom work truck configurations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Service Bodies Work truck bodies designed for mobile service operations, featuring storage compartments and customizable configurations for tools and equipment. Built for service trade professionals such as plumbers, electricians, and HVAC technicians.
• Enclosed Bodies Fully enclosed truck bodies providing secure storage and protection for tools and equipment with a roof structure for mobile workshop functionality. Targeted at professionals who need to secure and protect high-value tools on the truck.
• Crane Bodies Heavy-duty truck bodies designed to support crane operations for lifting and positioning materials in harsh work environments. Built for power, productivity, and safety in challenging jobs.
• Aerial Body Truck bodies with aerial lift capabilities for elevated work positions, providing reach, reliability, and strength for height-related tasks. Built for crews working safely at heights.
• Dump & Landscape Bodies Truck bodies designed for hauling, dumping, and landscaping materials, built to handle tough terrain and safely load and unload payload. Targeted at construction and landscape companies.
• Hauler & Platform Bodies Stakebed and platform truck bodies for transporting tools, equipment, and bulk materials with customizable configurations. Suited to fleets and contractors hauling diverse loads.
• Combo Body Combination body integrating service body storage with an open platform bed for versatile work truck applications. Designed for crews needing both enclosed storage and open hauling capacity.
• RHD Service Body Right-hand drive service body designed for crews requiring heavy-duty construction and everyday reliability in work trucks. Built for demanding commercial use.
• RM Crane Bodies Family Family of crane bodies engineered for power, productivity, and safety in challenging work environments. Marketed as the RM Crane Bodies line.
• Truck Upfitting Services Custom installation, parts, equipment, and accessories installation services for work trucks, delivered through 26 Reading Truck Centers across the United States. Includes expert upfitting for fleets and individual buyers.
• Parts & Accessories Aftermarket parts and accessories for work trucks, including air compressors, cargo control, lighting, power and electric, replacement parts, safety and security, storage solutions, towing, trailers and trailer parts, and truck caps. Sold to truck owners and fleet operators.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• J.B. Poindexter & CocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJ.B. Poindexter & Co is the parent company of Reading Truck. The conglomerate manufactures a variety of commercial and industrial products across multiple divisions, providing Reading Truck with corporate resources, manufacturing expertise, and economies of scale. Reading Truck is listed as a subsidiary on the JB Poindexter corporate website.
• GTB Custom ShopcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGTB Custom Shop is a specialized customization operation that works with Reading Truck to provide custom truck body solutions and modifications beyond standard product offerings. It is referenced as part of the Reading Truck Group ecosystem for specialized custom work.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Maintainer Corporation of Iowa: Maintainer builds custom service bodies, lube trucks, and crane bodies primarily for the heavy-duty service and maintenance market. It directly overlaps with Reading Truck's crane body and heavy-duty service body product lines and targets similar fleet and contractor segments.
• The Knapheide Manufacturing Company: Knapheide is one of the largest US manufacturers of truck bodies, service bodies, utility bodies, and platform bodies, with a similar direct sales and distributor model. It is Reading Truck's most direct head-to-head competitor across service bodies, enclosed bodies, and vocational upfitting.
• Morgan Truck Body: Morgan Truck Body manufactures a broad portfolio of truck bodies including refrigerated, dry freight, and vocational configurations, with national distribution. It directly competes with Reading Truck in work truck and specialty body segments and serves many of the same fleet and contractor customers.
• Royal Truck Body: Royal Truck Body manufactures a wide range of work truck bodies including service bodies, utility bodies, contractor bodies, and custom fabrications. It is a direct competitor in the same vocational body market with overlapping customer segments across trades and fleets.
• Stahl Truck Bodies: Stahl manufactures service bodies, utility bodies, and custom truck body solutions for the work truck market, including for fleets and government/municipal customers. It is a comparable specialty body fabricator competing for similar service trade and contractor business.
• BrandFX Body Company: BrandFX manufactures composite (fiberglass) service bodies, utility bodies, and toppers as a lightweight alternative to steel bodies. It competes head-to-head with Reading's service bodies for trades and fleet customers seeking durability and payload efficiency.

Broad incumbents

• Velocity Vehicle Group: Velocity Vehicle Group operates a large network of Daimler Truck dealership and service locations across the US, providing commercial truck sales, upfitting, parts, and service. It is a broader incumbent that competes with Reading Truck's Truck Centers for fleet upfitting and service wallet share.

Emerging players

• Auto Crane (Venturo): Auto Crane and Venturo manufacture truck-mounted cranes and crane bodies sold to upfitters and fleets. They supply the crane equipment that Reading Truck integrates into its crane body product, making them both a supplier-adjacent and partial competitor in crane-equipped work trucks.
• Auto Truck Group: Auto Truck Group specializes in truck upfitting, custom fabrication, and fleet outfitting services across multiple US locations. It competes with Reading Truck's Truck Centers/upfitting service operations and serves overlapping commercial fleet customers.

Others

• J.B. Poindexter & Co. (sister subsidiaries): J.B. Poindexter & Co. operates other vehicle body and specialty manufacturing subsidiaries (e.g., Morgan Olson, EFP, Supreme). These sister divisions share corporate resources with Reading Truck and represent both cross-sell opportunities and analogous business model benchmarks within the parent conglomerate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Readingtruck
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCVsbDD6T4YRSB9pmdJG2VbQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/readingtruckequipment
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reading-truck-body-llc
• Instagraminstagram.com/readingtruck

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Reading Truck Equipment