Commercial & Fleet

Bale Bed & Hay Bed Trucks in Oklahoma

By Jason Leck, General Manager, Carter Chevrolet — Okarche, OK

Around here, a bale bed truck does more real work than just about anything else on the place. When it’s 20 degrees and you’ve got cattle to feed, a hay bed lets one person spear a round bale, haul it to the pasture, and roll it out — without a second tractor, a second set of hands, or ever leaving the cab. That’s why bale bed trucks are everywhere in the country around Okarche, Kingfisher, and El Reno.

This page covers what a bale bed does, which Chevy chassis carries one best, and how to get one on your truck. It’s part of our guide to upfitted commercial trucks in Oklahoma. We sell a lot of bale bed trucks — buy the right Silverado from us and we’ll get a bale bed installed and ready to feed, most often a DewEze.

What a bale bed truck does

A bale bed replaces the pickup bed with a flat deck and a pair of hydraulic arms. A spike spears the bale; the arms lift it onto the deck for hauling, then set it down or unroll it to feed. One person, one truck, no tractor required — which is exactly what you want at daylight in January.

Because the deck is flat with a recessed gooseneck ball, the same truck pulls a stock trailer or gooseneck the rest of the year. Popular bale bed brands include DewEze, Bradford Built, and Hydra-Bed; Carter sells the truck and gets the bale bed installed so you drive away feeding-ready.

Why Oklahoma ranchers run bale beds

A bale bed truck shines where a tractor is overkill and a pickup can’t do the job:

• Feeding solo — load, haul, and unroll a bale without leaving the cab in bad weather.
• Moving hay between pastures — faster and more road-friendly than a tractor.
• Pulling double duty — a gooseneck ball in the deck hauls stock and equipment trailers.
• Daily ranch work — toolboxes and a flat deck handle fence, feed, and supplies.

Best Chevy chassis for a bale bed

If you’re also pulling a loaded gooseneck, mention it — it pushes the decision toward a 3500 and the right rear-axle setup.

Building your bale bed: arms, hitches, and toolboxes

• Bed brand and arm capacity — matched to the bale size you handle. [Confirm with us.]
• Gooseneck + bumper-pull hitches — so the feeding truck also pulls trailers.
• Toolboxes — lockable storage for fence tools, feed buckets, and supplies.
• Spike vs. fork — spear a bale or carry it on a fork, depending on how you feed.
• Lighting and rear receiver — spec’d for road and pasture use.

Frequently asked questions

What is a bale bed (or hay bed) truck?

A truck with a flat deck and hydraulic arms that pick up, haul, and unroll round hay bales. It lets one person feed cattle from the truck and still pull a gooseneck trailer the rest of the year.

How much can a bale bed lift?

Capacity depends on the bed brand and model. We’ll match the arm rating to the bale size you handle — ask us to confirm specs before you order.

Can one person feed with a bale bed?

Yes — that’s the whole point. You can spear, haul, and unroll a round bale without leaving the cab, which matters most in cold or muddy weather.

Which Silverado is best for a bale bed?

The Silverado 3500HD is the most common choice; single-rear-wheel for most feeding, dually for the heaviest hay and trailer loads.

Can I still pull a gooseneck trailer?

Yes. Bale beds are built on a flat deck with a recessed gooseneck ball and a rear receiver, so the same truck hauls stock and equipment trailers.

Do you install the bale bed, or do I have to go somewhere else?

We handle it. Buy the Silverado from Carter and we’ll get a bale bed installed and ready to feed — most customers choose a DewEze — with financing and trade-in in one place. Many prefer to start with a new Silverado HD so the chassis rating, warranty, and bed are matched from day one.

Where do you serve?

Ranch country across northwest Oklahoma — Kingfisher, El Reno, Watonga, Hennessey, and the greater Oklahoma City metro. Okarche sits right on US-81.