CabOn most box trucks it is separate from the cargo area. The truck leaves its maker as a cab on a bare frame.
Cargo boxA body builder adds it to the cab and frame. Makers call it a van body; it is what makes the truck a box truck.
AtticIt is part of the cargo space. Light things go there, kept out of the way. One body maker calls it a peak.
Clearance lightsThey make the tall body show up in the dark. They sit at the front corners, along the top rails and across the back.
Rub railIt runs the length of the body. One maker fits wider rub rails on its heavy-duty bodies.
Fuel tankA driver checks that it is mounted securely and not leaking.
Side mirrorA driver checks the mirrors before setting off. The driver keeps looking in them on the road.
Walk rampA sliding ramp for walking loads in and out. It makes a truck easier to load and unload.
From behind 7
Roll-up doorIt rolls up overhead like a garage door. Makers also call it an overhead door. Some box trucks have swing doors instead.
Grab handlesHold one when you climb into or out of the box.
E-trackStraps fasten to the rails to hold the load still. It is cargo control.
BulkheadAlso called the front wall. It is usually solid; some trucks have a door in it through to the cab.
Tail lightsThey must be clean, working and red.
Mud flapsDriver's manuals call them splash guards. They must not drag on the ground or rub the tires.
LiftgateIt carries goods between the ground and the floor of the box. This truck has one where the first has a ramp.
How this list was compiled: Part names checked on 2026-09-30; a name is kept only when two independent sources use it. (1) A truck body maker's owner's manual, https://www.morgancorp.com/assets/front-end/downloads/F7_5-011-Morgan-Owners-Manual-and-Maintenance-Procedures.pdf , and its dry freight body pages, https://www.morgancorp.com/dry-freight/gold-star/ and https://www.morgancorp.com/dry-freight/furniture-mover/ (van body, cab, overhead and roll-up door, swing door, liftgate, walkramp, steps, grab handles, mud flaps, front wall, bulkhead, the 'peak' overcab storage compartment, rub rail, E-track, clearance lights on front corner caps, side top rails and rear header). (2) A second body maker's van body pages, with their equipment lists, https://www.unicell.com/van-bodies/dry-freight/ and https://www.unicell.com/van-bodies/classicube/ (roll-up rear door, rub rail, rear grab handles, mud flaps, tail lights, solid bulkhead wall and sliding door between cab and body, E-track and straps under cargo control, sliding walkramps, power liftgates, swing-out doors, attic, mirrors). (3) Virginia Commercial Driver's License Manual (the states' common manual), sections 2 and 11, https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/forms/dmv60a.pdf (cab, fuel tank securely mounted and not leaking, splash guards not dragging or rubbing tires, clearance lights, taillights red at rear, mirrors, cargo lift). (4) Wikipedia, text only: Box truck, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_truck (chassis cab, cargo box added by a body builder, cabin separate from the cargo area, a roll-up rear door like a garage door, Luton body); Tail lift, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tail_lift (liftgate). (5) A truck rental company's page for its largest moving truck, https://www.uhaul.com/Truck-Rentals/26ft-Moving-Truck/ (cab, loading ramp, attic, fuel tank), read for names only. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's truck, nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
The parts of a box truck are a cab on a truck frame and a cargo box that a body builder adds behind it. The second drawing looks in through the back door.
Read the full guide
From the side
The cab is at the front and the cargo box fills the rest. The attic is the part of the box that reaches over the cab roof. Clearance lights run along the top edge and the rub rail along the bottom. The fuel tank hangs under the box, and the walk ramp is pulled out at the back.
From behind
The roll-up door is half open. Inside, E-track rails run along both walls to the bulkhead at the far end. Outside are the grab handles, the tail lights and the mud flaps. This truck has a liftgate where the first has a ramp.
Driver's manuals call mud flaps splash guards and a liftgate a cargo lift.
This page names the parts; it gives no sizes, weights or ratings.
Questions and answers
What are the parts of a box truck?
A cab, a cargo box with an attic over the cab, a roll-up rear door, and a walk ramp or a liftgate. Outside are clearance lights, a rub rail, grab handles, tail lights and mud flaps. Inside are E-track rails and a bulkhead.
What is the space over the cab of a box truck called?
The attic. It is part of the cargo box and reaches forward over the cab roof. One body maker calls it a peak. In Britain a box body extended over the cab is a Luton body.
What is the back door of a box truck called?
A roll-up door, or overhead door. It rolls up overhead like a garage door. Some box trucks have swing doors instead.
What is the difference between a liftgate and a ramp?
A liftgate is a powered platform fixed to the back of the truck; it carries goods between the ground and the floor. A walk ramp is a plain sloping ramp that slides out for loading.