In 2015, a truck with a body made out of aluminum instead of steel made its debut. This raised the cost of the truck, as aluminum is more expensive to use than steel, but allowed the manufacturer to improve the model overall. Several years later, truck bodies made mostly out of aluminum remain winners because the benefits that the switch to aluminum brought have only been amplified in the past couple of years. This decision to start making a truck with an aluminum body turned out to be an excellent one in terms of future planning.

Mileage

Aluminum is lighter than steel, so using aluminum allows car manufacturers to create trucks that get much better mileage than their steel-body competitors. This has come in handy as gas prices rise. While prices weren't bad during the pandemic, they have increased since then. The increased mileage that trucks with aluminum bodies get helps you spend less at the gas pump without having to cut back on driving too much if you want to save money.

Dent Resistance

Aluminum is lighter, so adding more aluminum — in other words, making the aluminum frame thicker — won't make the truck much heavier. The resulting body should still be light enough to get great mileage while being thick enough to provide a strong frame that is harder to dent. That also helps in accidents, as the increased strength of the frame makes it harder to crush, although it's obviously not an invincible frame. Given that the past years saw SUVs and trucks make up the majority of passenger vehicle purchases, the added strength is very helpful in an accident involving these larger vehicles.

Handling

Lighter, stronger frames are easier to handle, and that's been a boon for drivers who have been able to purchase vehicles that have aluminum as the main body material. With the weather getting wilder — more wind, rain, snow, ice, or intense heat, depending on your location — you need all the control you can get when you drive. A lighter frame places less stress on the wheels and creates less momentum working to swing the back around wildly, making you fishtail.

If you need a pickup truck, an aluminum body is a great feature to have. Aluminum increases the safety and economy factor easily. Compare what you spend now on gas and body maintenance with what you might spend on a typical aluminum-body vehicle, and you'll see the savings appear quickly. For more information about trucks with aluminum bodies, like an F150, contact a local dealer.