Patent Publication Number: US-8523286-B1

Title: Method of interchanging a truck body with a dump body

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 11/508,590, filed Aug. 22, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,934,897, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/710,254, filed Aug. 22, 2005, each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of vehicles for hauling materials and, more specifically, to an apparatus and method for coupling different body types to a truck. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Dump trucks and tractor trucks have different hauling bodies for accomplishing different purposes. A dump truck includes a towing engine that is coupled to a hydraulically operated open-box (dump) body that is hinged at the rear. The front of the body can be raised to allow the contents (usually gravel or some type of soil for construction) to be discharged by gravity on the ground behind the truck at the site of delivery. 
     In contrast, a tractor truck is an articulated truck consisting of a towing engine (tractor) and a trailer body that carries the freight. The trailer remains generally in the same plane as the truck during unloading, which is usually performed by fork lifts. 
     It is desirous for trucking operations to have trucks with both types of dedicated bodies in order to provide a greater variety of services. However, dump trucks and tractor trucks are costly, each ranging from $90,000 to substantially more. Moreover, each truck requires separate permits, insurance, maintenance and other associated costs. And oftentimes, particularly for smaller operations, only one type of truck is being utilized for a project while the other remains idle. The high cost of a truck and limitations of the dedicated bodies can restrict a trucking operation&#39;s ability to expand into different services or cause the trucking operation to risk financial strain in order to expand. 
     Accordingly, what is needed in the art of vehicles for hauling materials is a truck that can be coupled to different body types in order to expand the utility of the truck and lower overall operations costs. Also needed in the art is for the truck to be interchangeably attachable to a dump body and trailer body, depending of the desired use. Further needed in the art is for the body changeover to be accomplishable by a single person within a short period of time, such as 15 minutes or less. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To achieve the foregoing and other objects, the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, provides various embodiments of a truck adapted for interchangeably coupling different bodies thereto, and methods of interchanging the bodies, in order to enhance the trucks utility. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the truck apparatus is adapted for being interchangeably coupled to a dump body and a trailer body and includes a truck having frame rails; mounting brackets attached to the frame rails; a 5 th  wheel having a mounting platform and adapted for being attached to the mounting bracket, wherein the 5 th  wheel is capable of being coupled to the trailer body; and a hydraulic cylinder adapted for being attached to the truck and the dump body. The truck includes a dump body hinged at the rear by a pin and a hydraulic system for raising the front of the body to allow the contents to be discharged by gravity. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for interchanging a dump body and trailer body on a truck and includes the steps of removing the dump body from the truck and attaching the trailer body to the truck. Additional steps include lifting the dump body with a hydraulic cylinder; attaching a hoist system to the dump body; removing at least part of the weight of the hydraulic cylinder from the truck; detaching the hydraulic cylinder from the truck; removing at least part of the weight of the dump body from a coupling pin; removing the coupling pin from the dump body and the truck; positioning a 5 th  wheel onto mounting brackets; releaseably attaching the 5 th  wheel to the mounting brackets; and coupling a trailer body to the 5 th  wheel. 
     In a preferred method of the present invention, the steps of the method may be reversed in order to remove the trailer body and attach a dump body. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above described and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention are better understood when the following detailed description of the invention is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of the invented truck apparatus configured as a semi-tractor truck, having a 5 th  wheel mounted thereto for coupling with a trailer body, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the invented truck apparatus configured as a dump truck, having a hydraulic lift system for actuating a dump body, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view the invented truck apparatus, having a 5 th  wheel mounted thereon for coupling to a trailer body as shown in  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view the invented truck apparatus, having a slidable 5 th  wheel mounted thereon for coupling to a trailer body, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a hinge assembly of the invented truck apparatus of  FIG. 2 , for pivotally attaching a dump body to the truck apparatus; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a hydraulic lift system of the invented truck apparatus of  FIG. 2 , for moving a dump body between hauling and dumping positions; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a hoist system for interchanging the invented truck apparatus with dump and trailer bodies; 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of the hoist system of  FIG. 7 , showing the invented truck apparatus in position for removing the dump body; 
         FIG. 9  is a side view of the hoist system of  FIG. 7 , showing the dump body in a lifted position for removal of the hydraulic cylinder from the truck apparatus; 
         FIG. 10  is a side view of the hoist system of  FIG. 7 , showing the dump body suspended by the hoist system and separated from the truck; and 
         FIG. 11  is a side view of the hoist system of  FIG. 7 , showing the 5 th  wheel being positioned on the truck by a boom arm system for allowing attachment of a trailer body. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. These exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be both thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. 
     The present invention is a vehicle for hauling material and, more specifically, a truck apparatus coupleable to different body types and methods for attaching and interchanging the bodies. In various embodiments, the truck includes a 5 th  wheel to which a trailer body may be attached or a hydraulic lift system for attaching a dump body. In other embodiments, the truck may include both a 5 th  wheel and a hydraulic lift system. 
     In various methods of the invention, the truck is converted between having a trailer body and a dump body. In various methods, a hoist system is utilized to remove the dump body and position the 5 th  wheel for coupling by the trailer body. In various methods, the hoist system is utilized to remove the 5 th  wheel and place the dump body on the truck. 
     Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of a truck  10  configured for hauling a trailer body  12 , in accordance with the present invention.  FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment wherein the truck  10  of  FIG. 1  has been converted into a dump truck  10   a  having a dump body  12   a , in accordance with the present invention. Methods are described herein wherein the trailer body  12  ( FIG. 1 ) and dump body  12   a  ( FIG. 2 ) may be interchanged. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the illustrated embodiments the truck  10 ,  10   a  include a tractor  14  comprising a cab  16 , a chassis with a pair of rearward extending frame rails  18 , a front axle and at least one rear axle, and a hydraulic lift system  20 ,  20   a  for operation of the dump body  12   a  when the truck is being utilized as a dump truck  10   a . It is to be understood that the basic components of the truck are the same regardless whether the truck is being used with a trailer body  12  or dump body  12   a.    
     Referring to the embodiment illustrated by  FIG. 3 , a mounting bracket  22  is attached to each of the frame rails  18 . Each of the mounting brackets  22  are L-shaped with a downward extending section  26  being attached by bolts  28  to the side of the frame rails  18  and a lateral section  30  having a planar top surface that is essentially on the same plane as the top surface of the frame rails  18 . The lateral sections  30  include a plurality of openings  32  through which bolts  34  are received to releaseably attach a 5 th  wheel  36  to the truck  10 . 
     The 5 th  wheel  36  comprises a king pin plate  38  having a jaw slot  40  for coupling to a trailer body  12  (see  FIG. 1 ) in a conventional manner. The king pin plate  38  is secured to left and right mounts  42  by a pair of pins  44 , the mounts  42  being secured to a mounting platform  46  by any suitable means, for example by welding, as illustrated. The mounting platform  46  has left and right sections  47 ,  48  joined by a forward cross member  50 . The left and right sections  47 ,  48  each have a planar bottom surface that rests atop the respective left and right frame rails  18  and lateral sections  30 . 
     Preferably, the lateral sections  30  have a length greater than that of the mounting platform  46  so that the openings  32  therein allow for the 5 th  wheel  36  to be positioned further forward or rearward on the truck  10  depending on the load being carried. That is, the 5 th  wheel  36  may detached and moved forward or rearward to any location where the 5 th  wheel openings and mounting platform openings  32  can be coaxially aligned and secured thereat by bolts  34 . In an alternative embodiment, pins may be used in place of bolts  34  in order to simplify detachment of the 5 th  wheel  36  from the truck  10  when converting the truck between the trailer body  12  ( FIG. 1 ) and dump body  12   a  ( FIG. 2 ). 
     In another embodiment, illustrated by  FIG. 4 , the present invention includes the same or similar truck components as previously described, but utilizes a slidable 5 th  wheel  52  instead of the previously described 5 th  wheel, and a mounting platform  54  that is suitable for use with the slidable 5 th  wheel  52 . That is, the truck  10  includes frame rails  18 , left and right L-shaped mounting brackets  22  each having a downward extending section  26  being attached by bolts  28  to the sides of the frame rails  18  and a lateral section  30  having a planar top surface that is essentially on the same plane as the top surface of the frame rails  18 . The lateral sections  30  are provided with a plurality of openings through which bolts  68  are received to releasebly attach the mounting platform  54 , which ultimately secures the slidable 5 th  wheel  52 , to the truck  10 . 
     The slidable 5 th  wheel  52  includes a king pin plate  56  having a jaw slot  58  for coupling a trailer body  12  ( FIG. 1 ) to a truck  10 . Advantageously, the slidable 5 th  wheel  52  can be adjusted forward or rearward to allow the coupling point between the truck  10  and trailer  12  ( FIG. 1 ) to be changed, in accordance with the load being carried, without having to disengage the mounting platform  54  from the truck  10 , as was required in the embodiment illustrated by  FIG. 1 . 
     The mounting platform  54  includes substantially identical left and right sections  60  (only the right section is principally shown) joined by a forward cross member (not illustrated) and a rearward cross members  62 . The left and right sections  60  each have a planar bottom surface that rests atop respective left and right frame rails  18  and lateral sections  30 . Left and right adjustment rails  64  are positioned atop the mounting platform sections  60  and are provided with a plurality of spaced adjustment slots  66  which provide selectable positions at which the slidable 5 th  wheel  52  may be secured. Concentric through-openings in the adjustment rails  64 , mounting platform sections  60  and mounting bracket  30  receive bolts  68 , or other means such as pins, to releaseable secure the components together. As such, the adjustment rails  64  and slidable 5 th  wheel  52  may be removed from the frame rails  18  by removing the fastening bolts  68 . Similarly, the mounting platform  54  may also be removed by removing additional bolts  69 . 
     A conventional hydraulic locking assembly  70  is provided to secure the slidable 5 th  wheel  52  in a predetermined position, and also to release the 5 th  wheel  52  from its locked position to enable the 5 th  wheel  52  to be moved to a new desired position. The locking assembly  70  includes substantially similar left and right locking blocks  72  (only the right side is shown) that are biased into adjustment slots  66  by springs  74  (partially shown) whereat the locking blocks  72  secure the 5 th  wheel  52  from moving in any direction relative to the truck frame  18 . To move the 5 th  wheel  52  to a new position, a hydraulic cylinder  76  articulates a linkage of lever arms (not shown) to overcome the biasing springs  74  in order to withdrawal and release the locking blocks  72  from respective slots  66 . Thusly, the 5 th  wheel  52  is no longer locked in a fixed position and may be relocated forward or rearward to a new position. 
     In the event that the locking assembly  70  fails, additional safety measures are provided to keep the trailer body ( FIG. 1 ) from inadvertently detaching from the truck  10 . For example, the 5 th  wheel  52  is provided with left and right lateral flanges (not shown) that are received within respective left and right inward facing lower channels  78  (only right channel is shown) provided in the inward facing surfaces of the adjustment rails  64 . The lateral flanges may be moved forward and rearward within the channels  78 , however vertical movement is restricted by the adjustment rails  64 . Thus, the slidable 5 th  wheel  52 , and ultimately the trailer body  12  ( FIG. 1 ), is restricted from vertically separating from the frame rail  18 . 
     Additionally, a rear stop member  80  is provided to limit rearward movement of the slidable 5 th  wheel  52  in case the locking assembly  70  fails. The stop member  80  includes left and right flanges  82  (only the right flange is shown) that are slidably received within the adjustment rail lower channels  78 , which restricts the stop member  80  for vertically separating from the truck  10 . Additionally, rearward movement of the stop member  80  is controlled by a pair of plates  84  secured to the mounting platform  54  by bolts  69 . 
     In each of the embodiments, the truck  10 ,  10   a  is equipped with necessary hydraulic and electrically lines (not shown) in order to operate the truck  10 ,  10   a  when carrying either the dump body  12   a  ( FIG. 2 ) or trailer body  12  ( FIG. 1 ). Common components include air lines to operate the slidable 5 th  wheel  52 , air brakes, and dump bed tail gate; hydraulic lines to lift the dump bed; and electrical lines for vehicle/body lights and signals. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the truck  10   a  is equipped with rearwardly disposed hinge assembly  88  for pivotally attaching the dump body  12   a . The hinge assembly  88  includes a pair of brackets  90  connected at the rear of the truck  10   a . Each bracket  90  includes laterally spaced plates  92  at which coupling collars  94  of the dump body  12   a  are disposed. A laterally disposed coupling pin  96  is received through coaxial openings in the brackets  90  and collars  94  thereby rotatably joining the dump body  12   a  to the truck  10   a.    
     The coupling pin  96  is releaseably secured in place by having an enlarged section  98  at one end of the coupling pin  96  and a securing pin (not shown) inserted through the coupling pin  96  at the opposed end such that the securing pin and enlarged section  98  limit lateral movement of the coupling pin  96 . Optionally, a secondary securing pin  100  may be provided through both the bracket  90  and coupling pin  96  in order to further ensure that the coupling pin  96  does not unexpectedly separate from the truck  10   a.    
     The coupling pin  96  may further include an alignment portion  102  to assist in properly aligning the coaxial openings in the bracket  90  and coupling pin  96  through which the secondary securing pin  100  is inserted when attaching the dump body  12   a  to the truck  10   a . The exemplary illustrated alignment portion  102  includes a linear edge that abuts a linear edge of the bracket  90 . Proper alignment of the openings for inserting the secondary pin  100  occurs when the two linear edges are abutted and the coupling pin&#39;s enlarged section  98  is engaged against the bracket  90 . 
     Air and electrical lines provide for proper operation of the truck and bodies and include quick disconnect couplings as needed to convert between the body types  12 ,  12   a  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ). Additionally, a stop cable  104  is attached at one end to the truck  10   a  and at the opposed end to the dump body  12   a  to limit the lifting range of the dump body  12   a  for safety considerations. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the truck  10   a  includes the hydraulic lift system  20   a  for lifting the front of the dump body  12   a  so that material is discharged by gravity out of the dump body&#39;s rear gate. The hydraulic lift system  20   a  comprises a hydraulic tank  106  for storing fluid and a hydraulic cylinder  108  rotatably attached to the dump body  12   a  by a distal pin (not shown) and rotatably attached to the truck  10   a  at a cradle  110  by a proximal pin  112 . A hydraulic line  114  provides hydraulic fluid from the tank  106  to the hydraulic cylinder  108  and is equipped with a quick release coupling. Air and electrical lines (not shown) extending rearward from the cradle area  110 , for operation of the tailgate and taillights are disposed at an elevation less than that of the frame rails  18  where they are protected against engagement by the body  12   a.    
     The cradle  110  includes members  116  laterally spaced from the hydraulic cylinder  108  and cross members  118  joining the lateral members  116 . The cross member  118  extend laterally beyond the lateral member  116 , to which laterally positioned plates  120  are attached. While the cross and lateral members  118 ,  116  provide structural integrity, the lateral plates  120  serve to retain the proximal pin  112  that secures the hydraulic cylinder  108  to the cradle  100  and allows for its removal. 
     The proximal pin  112  is disposed through coaxial openings (not shown) in the laterally spaced members  116  and the hydraulic cylinder  108 , thereby rotatably coupling the hydraulic cylinder  108  to the cradle  110 . Lateral movement required to free the promixal pin  112  is restricted by the lateral plates  120  such that the pin  112  remains in proper operational position. To remove the proximal pin  112 , a swing arm  124  is manually rotated about a pivot to a position that leaves an opening  126  in one of the plates  120  uncovered ( FIG. 6  shows the swing arm  124  rotated to a position whereby the opening  126  is exposed). The opening  126  is aligned so that the proximal pin  112  (shown in phantom) may be passed there-through for egress out of the cradle  110 . To maintain the proximal pin  112  in working position in the cradle, the swing arm  124  rotated to a position whereby it blocks the opening  126 . 
     In the preferred embodiment, the hydraulic cylinder  108  is removed when the truck  10  is being used with a trailer body  12 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Referring to  FIG. 6 , to facilitated removal, the proximal end of the hydraulic cylinder  108  is also provided with a chain  128  or bracket that is used when lifting the hydraulic cylinder  108  out of the cradle  110 . The process for interchanging the dump body and trailer body is described in greater detail further below. 
     In the aforementioned embodiments of the present invention, the hydraulic cylinder  108  must be in place and the 5 th  wheel removed in order for the truck  10   a  to carry the dump body  12   a , as illustrated by  FIG. 2 . Conversely, the 5 th  wheel  36  must be in place and the hydraulic cylinder removed in order for the truck  10  to carry the trailer body  12 , as illustrated by  FIG. 1 . 
     Notwithstanding, it is contemplated that the truck may be configured to allow for both the 5 th  wheel and hydraulic cylinder to remain intact regardless of whether the truck is being utilized with a dump body or trailer body. This embodiment (not illustrated) is essentially the same as the embodiments described above, however, the hydraulic cylinder is capable of being laid in a position that doesn&#39;t interfere with the trailer body and, likewise, the 5 th  wheel may be positioned so that it doesn&#39;t interfere with the dump body. 
     For example, the rearmost cross member of the cradle may be configured to have a cutout intermediate section so that the hydraulic cylinder may be laid essentially flat. Additionally, the 5 th  wheel may be located at a position above the laid-down hydraulic cylinder by having a heightened mounting or adjustment bracket. As the 5 th  wheel is sufficiently elevated above the hydraulic cylinder, the trailer body may be coupled to the 5 th  wheel without interfering with the hydraulic cylinder. Conversely, to attach the dump body without interfering with the 5 th  wheel, the hydraulic cylinder may be actuated into partially elevated positioned above the 5 th  wheel. The hinge coupling the dump body to the truck may be configured to accommodate the additional height necessary to clear the 5 th  wheel by having elongated brackets that space the dump body upwards from the frame rails. 
     Referring to the embodiments illustrated by  FIGS. 1-6 , a method is provided for interchangeably attaching the trailer body  12  ( FIG. 1 ) and dump body  12   a  ( FIG. 2 ) to the truck. As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the method utilizes a hoist system  132  having four vertical corner posts  134 , lateral and cross beams  136 ,  138  supporting the corner posts  134 , a boom arm system  140  for lifting and positioning the 5 th  wheel  36 , and a pair of forward and rearward chains  142 ,  144  used for lifting and positioning the dump body  12   a  ( FIG. 8 ). 
     In operation, to change-over the truck from using a dump body  12   a  to a trailer body  12 , the truck  10   a  is driven into position within the hoist system  132 , as illustrated by  FIG. 8 . Ground flags may be provided to aid the driver in laterally aligning the truck  10   a  and the lower rear cross beam  136  ( FIG. 7 ) may be used as a rear stop. 
     Once the truck  12   a  is properly positioned, the hydraulic cylinder  108  is removed by first actuating the hydraulic cylinder  108  to lift the front of the dump body  12   a  to its maximum height whereat the hydraulic cylinder  108  is generally vertical, as shown in  FIG. 9 . Thereafter, the dump body  12   a  is fixed to the hoist system  132  by inserting bars  146  that are located at the ends of the front chains  142  into sleeves  148  affixed at the front corners of the dump body  12   a . The front chains  142  are suitable for fully supporting the weight of the dump body  12   a . The weight of the hydraulic cylinder  108  and dump body  12   a  is then removed from the hydraulic pin  112  ( FIG. 6 ) by utilizing a hand wench  150  that is attached at one end to the bottom of the dump body  12   a  and at the other end to the chain  128  (see  FIG. 6 ) at the bottom of the hydraulic cylinder  108  to lift the hydraulic cylinder  108  so that the hydraulic pin  112  may be freely moved. Referring to  FIG. 6 , the hydraulic pin  112  is then removed by pivoting the swing arm  124  thereby allowing for the hydraulic pin  112  to be manually removed through the opening  126  in the hydraulic cradle  110 . By quick disconnecting the hydraulic line  114 , the hydraulic cylinder  108  is detached from the truck  10   a , being only connected to the dump body  12   a.    
     The next step is to disconnect the dump body  12   a  from the truck  10   a  by first disconnecting the stop cable  104  from the dump body  12   a , as illustrated by  FIG. 5 . The pins holding the coupling pin  96  may be removed at this time or just prior to removing the coupling pin  96 . Air and electrics lines for the rear gates and rear lights are disconnected by a quick disconnect couplings. Referring to  FIG. 9 , thereafter the rear of the dump body  12   a  is attached to the hoist system  132  by connecting ratchets  152  between the rear chains  144  and brackets  154  affixed at the rear corners of the dump body  12   a . The ratchets  152  are used to lift the dump body  12   a  in small increments until its weight is removed from the coupling pin  96  ( FIG. 5 ) so that the pin  96  may be manually removed from engagement. The dump body  12   a  is now fully detached from the truck  10   a  and suspended by the hoist system  132 , as illustrated by  FIG. 10 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 11 , to install the trailer body  12  ( FIG. 1 ) on the truck  10 , the truck  10  is driven into position under a boom arm  156  of the boom arm system  140  where the 5 th  wheel  36  is being carried by a hoist chain  158 . The hoist chain  158  holds the 5 th  wheel  36  at hooks  160  (see also  FIG. 3 ) located at each corner of the mounting platform  46 . A bracket  162  ( FIG. 7 ) may be provided to space sections of the hoist chain  158  to facilitate connection to the mounting platform  46 . The 5 th  wheel  36  is lowered by a crank  164  ( FIG. 7 ) to a desired positioned (shown in phantom in  FIG. 11 ) onto the truck rails  18  whereat the openings in the mounting platform  46  and openings  32  in the mounting brackets  22  are aligned, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Bolts  34  are inserted through the openings and fixed by nuts to secure the 5 th  wheel  36  in placed. The trailer body  12  may now be coupled to the truck  10  in a conventional manner, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     It is to be understood that the steps of this method may be reversed so that the trailer body  12  may be removed and a dump body  12   a  installed. That is, the trailer body  12  is uncoupled from the 5 th  wheel  36  in a conventional manner. Thereafter, the truck  10  is driven under the boom arm system  140  where the hoist chain  158  is attached to the hooks  160  ( FIG. 7 ) in the 5 th  wheel mounting platform  46 , as illustrated by  FIG. 11 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , bolts  34  are removed thereby releasing the mounting bracket  46  and thus the 5 th  wheel  36  from attachment to the truck  10 . The boom arm system  140  is then used to lift the 5 th  wheel  36  from the truck  10 , as illustrated by  FIG. 11 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 10 , the truck  10  is then driven to a position within the hoist system  132  for installing the dump body  12   a . The ratchets  152  are attached to the brackets  154  at the rear of the dump body  12   a  and are used to vertically adjust the dump body  12   a  so that the coupling pin  96  can be inserted within openings on the brackets  90  and collars  94  in order to pivotally join the dump body  12   a  to the truck  10   a , as illustrated by  FIG. 5 . The alignment portion  102  of the coupling pin  96  is engaged against a linear edge of the bracket  90  so openings in the brackets  154  and coupling pin  96  align into which secondary pins  100  may be positioned to further secure the coupling pin  96 . As the rear of the dump body  12   a  coupled to the truck  10   a , the rearward chains  144  are removed from attachment and support of the dump body  12   a.    
     Referring collectively to  FIGS. 6 and 9 , the hand wench  150  is used to position the hydraulic cylinder  108  for being secured to the cradle  110  by the proximal pin  112 . Thereafter, the hand wench  150  is removed from attachment to the truck  10   a . Also, as the hydraulic cylinder  108  now fully supports the front of the dump body  12   a , the forward chains  142  are removed from attachment and support of the dump body  12 . The dump body  12   a  is now fully attached to the truck  10   a  and the truck may be operated as a conventional dump truck. 
     Regardless of whether the dump body is being interchanged for the trailer body, or vice versa, the conversion process requires only one person and may be performed in about fifteen minutes. As such, the foregoing embodiments provide methods of interchanging different types of bodies on a truck, specifically a dump body and a trailer body, thereby allowing the truck to perform a wider variety of tasks. And, as the conversion process may be preformed by one person without much downtime, the truck body may be changed multiple times a day as needed. 
     The foregoing provides a detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Although truck embodiments and methods of attaching different bodies thereto have been described with reference to preferred embodiments and examples thereof, other embodiments and examples may perform similar functions and/or achieve similar results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the present invention and are intended to be covered by the following claims.