Stellar
Hooklifts and crane bodies for plow trucks that haul more than snow.
Hooklifts and crane bodies for plow trucks that haul more than snow.
Stellar Industries has built hooklift and crane-body systems out of Garner, Iowa since 1990. The platform's core promise is fleet consolidation: a single plow truck chassis, equipped with a Stellar hooklift, runs winter ice control November through March, swaps to a dump body for summer asphalt and aggregate hauling, mounts a flatbed for fall yard work, and accepts a water tank or other body for shoulder-season jobs. Same chassis, same operator, three or four jobs across the year. One truck stops sitting idle eight months a year.
The lineup spans hooklift cable, hook arm, and rail systems sized from half-ton through tandem-axle chassis, plus mechanic and crane bodies for shop trucks that need lift capacity for tire changes, drivetrain pulls, and pump service. The hooklift body swap typically takes under 10 minutes once the truck and bodies are set up correctly, so a department can pivot between use cases between routes instead of taking the truck out of service for a day at the body shop. Crane bodies pair a hydraulic crane with toolbox-style storage so a single service truck handles roadside repair work that would otherwise need two vehicles.
Brown Equipment Company is an authorized Stellar dealer and integrates the hooklift system as part of a complete BEC plow truck package. We spec the body, integrate the hydraulics and electrical, and stand behind the upfit as a single warranty contact. Wear parts (cables, hooks, hydraulic seals) stock at our service centers. Factory-trained service across our seven Midwest locations.
- Founded
- 1990
- Headquarters
- Garner, IA
- Manufacturer Site
- Visit
- One plow truck chassis runs winter ice control, summer dump, fall flatbed, off-season specialty bodies
- Body swap typically takes under 10 minutes, no body shop day off the truck
- Hooklift cable, hook arm, and rail systems sized half-ton through tandem-axle
- Crane bodies pair hydraulic crane with toolbox storage for shop and roadside service trucks
- Integrated as part of a complete BEC plow truck package, one warranty contact
- Wear parts stocked at our Midwest service centers, factory-trained service
- Stellar Hooklift Systems (cable, hook arm, rail)
- Stellar Crane Bodies
- Stellar Mechanic Bodies
- Stellar Aerol Lift and Crane Body
Stellar Equipment Line
2 products. Click any to see full specs, features, and availability.
Keep Your Stellar Running
We stock OEM parts and our technicians are factory-trained on Stellar equipment.
Stellar: Common Buyer Questions
Answers to the questions municipal fleets and contractors ask most often before specifying Stellar equipment.
- What is a hooklift and how does it work?
- A hooklift is a hydraulic system mounted on a truck chassis that picks up and drops off interchangeable bodies (plow, dump, flatbed, etc.) on standardized hook frames. The driver hooks the body, lifts it onto the chassis, and the same truck can run that body for the season. When the work changes, the body comes off, a new one goes on, and the truck pivots to the next job. The point is fleet consolidation: one chassis covers multiple seasonal use cases.
- How long does a body swap take?
- Typically under 10 minutes once the truck and bodies are set up correctly. The swap is a routine task an operator does in the yard between routes, not a body shop appointment. Compared to selling a single-purpose truck and buying a different one to cover summer work, the time and capital savings compound across the chassis lifecycle.
- Which Stellar hooklift fits my chassis?
- Cable, hook arm, and rail systems span half-ton trucks through tandem-axle chassis. The right system depends on the chassis class, the heaviest body you intend to swap, and whether you need fast cycle time (rail) or simpler hardware (cable). BEC can spec the right system to your fleet and the body mix you're planning.
- What is a crane body and when do I use one?
- A Stellar crane body pairs a hydraulic truck-mounted crane with integrated toolbox storage on a service-truck chassis. Use it for roadside repair (tire changes, drivetrain pulls), shop service trucks that handle pump work or motor swaps, and any job that traditionally took two vehicles (one to lift, one to carry tools). One crane body replaces the two-truck setup most departments use today.
- Does BEC integrate the hooklift on a chassis you provide?
- Yes. BEC integrates the Stellar hooklift, body, plow, spreader, hydraulics, and electrical as part of a complete plow truck package, with one warranty contact for the whole upfit. If you already have a chassis, we'll spec the system to match.
- What service and parts support does BEC offer for Stellar?
- We're an authorized Stellar dealer with factory-trained service across our seven Midwest locations. Wear parts (cables, hooks, hydraulic seals) stock at our service centers. Most stocked items ship same-day upon request from our Indianapolis distribution center.
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