Flatbed vs. Bale Bed Truck in Oklahoma: Which Do You Need?
Commercial Trucks · OklahomaFlatbed vs. bale bed truck in Oklahoma: which one do you actually need?
Quick answer If you feed round bales to cattle, get the bale bed; nothing else lets one person load, haul and unroll a bale from the cab. If you haul, tow and work but do not feed hay, get the flatbed; it is lighter, cheaper, and in stock. Plenty of Oklahoma operations run one of each. Carter sells both on Silverado HD chassis, installs them next door at OEM Truck Equipment in Okarche, and delivers statewide.
Side by side
| Flatbed | Bale bed | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Open deck for hauling, stake pockets, gooseneck ball | Flatbed plus hydraulic arms and spike that lift, carry and unroll round bales |
| Who it's for | Anyone who hauls or tows: contractors, hotshot, landscape, ranch | Cattle operations feeding round bales, especially one-person outfits |
| Installed cost at Carter | CM flatbed from $7,995 | Several times a flatbed; quoted per build (DewEze, Bradford Built, Hydra-Bed) |
| Weight added to the truck | Light; most payload stays available | Heavier (arms, pump, spike); plan on a 3500HD |
| Towing | Gooseneck and bumper-pull, full ratings | Same hitch options; the deck still pulls a stock trailer |
| Daily use outside feeding season | Everything a flatbed does | Everything a flatbed does, with the arms folded |
| Lead time | 4 in stock today, drive it home | Built to order on an in-stock chassis |
| Resale | Strong; broadest buyer pool | Strong in cattle country; narrower pool elsewhere |
Pick the flatbed if
- You haul pallets, pipe, equipment, fencing material, tack or square bales, and you tow a gooseneck or bumper-pull.
- You run hotshot, landscape, construction, oilfield service or a delivery route.
- You want the truck this week and the lowest body cost. Four are on the lot: flatbed trucks in stock.
- Resale matters: a clean flatbed dually sells to the widest range of buyers.
Pick the bale bed if
- You feed round bales, and especially if you feed alone. The arms replace a tractor and a second person at 6 a.m. in January.
- You want one truck that feeds in winter and pulls the stock trailer the rest of the year.
- You are already buying a 3500HD; the bale bed needs the payload and the frame.
- You are fine with build-to-order. We spec the arms, spike or fork, toolboxes and hitch, then build it on an in-stock chassis. Details, brands and options on the bale bed trucks page and the DewEze page.
The one-of-each setup
A lot of ranch customers end up here: a bale bed on a 3500HD 4WD for feeding and the stock trailer, and a gas flatbed on a 3500HD for everything else, so the feed truck isn't tied up hauling panels to the sale barn. If you are buying two, say so. Fleet pricing on multiple units is real, and both trucks go on one conversation with one person who handles the chassis and the bodies.
What both need from the chassis
Flatbed
- 3500HD chassis cab, 14,000 lb GVWR, dual rear wheel for gooseneck stability
- 6.6L gas for most; Duramax if you tow heavy daily
- 4WD for lease roads and pasture
- All four in-stock units are spec'd exactly this way
Bale bed
- 3500HD; the arms, pump and a loaded bale need the payload
- Single or dual rear wheel depending on how much you tow
- 4WD, no debate
- Gas or Duramax; the pump runs off the truck either way
Built in Okarche, delivered across Oklahoma
OEM Truck Equipment, our sister company at 210 W Oklahoma Ave, has been upfitting trucks since 1985 and distributes CM beds along with Stahl and Reading bodies. The body goes on the vehicle invoice, finances with the truck and carries through on one title. Body service happens in the same place as the oil change.
Okarche sits on Highway 81 northwest of Oklahoma City, which puts most of the state inside a half-day round trip, and we deliver. Rough drive times from the lot: Oklahoma City 35 min, Enid 45 min, El Reno 25 min, Kingfisher 20 min, Stillwater 1 hr 15, Lawton 1 hr 30, Tulsa 1 hr 45, Woodward 2 hr, Ardmore 2 hr. Free delivery in the OKC metro; ask for a quote anywhere else, and we have put trucks in the Panhandle and across the Red River.
Section 179 and the December 31 problem
Frequently asked questions
Can a bale bed do everything a flatbed does?
Mostly, yes. With the arms folded flat it is a flatbed with a gooseneck ball, and ranchers pull stock trailers with them all summer. The trade-offs are weight, cost and a slightly busier deck. If you never feed round bales, you are paying for hydraulics you will not use.
Can I add bale arms to a flatbed later?
Usually not economically. A bale bed is built as one unit with the arms, pump and reinforced deck, so the normal path is to replace the flatbed with a bale bed. If there is any chance you will feed cattle with the truck, spec the bale bed up front.
Which truck do I need for a bale bed?
A Silverado 3500HD. The arms, pump and a round bale together can push 2,500 to 3,000 pounds, and you want payload left over. 4WD is standard advice in Oklahoma; most of our bale bed trucks go out as 3500HD 4WD with the 6.6L gas or the Duramax. Details on our bale bed trucks page.
How much does a flatbed truck cost compared to a bale bed truck?
Our four in-stock flatbeds are $65,078 to $76,131 for a 2026 3500HD chassis cab 4WD dually with the CM flatbed installed. A bale bed truck on a comparable chassis runs meaningfully more because the body itself costs several times what a flatbed does; we quote those per build since brand, arm style and options move the number. Carter does not charge a doc fee or an addendum on either.
Gas or diesel for a bale bed?
Either works. The 6.6L gas handles feeding and local trailer work fine and costs less to buy and maintain. If the same truck also pulls a loaded gooseneck across the state regularly, the Duramax earns its premium. Same answer for a flatbed.
Do you deliver work trucks outside Oklahoma City?
Yes, statewide. Free delivery in the OKC metro is standard, and we regularly deliver to Enid, Stillwater, Tulsa, Lawton, Woodward, Ardmore and the Panhandle; ask for a delivery quote on your town. Okarche is on Highway 81 about 35 minutes northwest of OKC if you'd rather come see both beds.
Does either one qualify for the Section 179 deduction?
Both generally do, and neither is subject to the $32,000 heavy-SUV cap, because the deck is an open cargo area over six feet long. The truck must be placed in service by December 31 and used more than 50% for business. See our Section 179 work truck guide and your CPA.
Related
Flatbed trucks in stock · Bale bed trucks in Oklahoma · DewEze bale beds · Service body trucks · Section 179 work truck deduction · Commercial truck financing
Tell us what you haul. We'll tell you which bed.
Carter Chevrolet, 214 W Oklahoma Ave, Okarche, OK 73762. Sales 405-546-1147. Delivery across Oklahoma.