If you haul hay or handle bales regularly, the right bale bed can save you hours every week. Three names come up most often in Texas and Louisiana: CM Truck Beds, C5 Manufacturing, and DewEze. Each takes a different approach to the bale-hauling challenge — and the best choice depends on how you work.
At Star Truck Equipment in Wharton, TX, we carry CM bale beds and help ranchers across Texas and Louisiana spec out the right setup. Call us at (979) 532-1486 or stop by — we’re happy to walk you through the options.
CM Truck Beds Bale Beds
CM Truck Beds — built in Madill, Oklahoma — is one of the most trusted names in the industry. Their bale and hay bed lineup is built tough from high-strength steel with options that work on SRW and DRW pickups through medium-duty trucks.
- Heavy-gauge steel construction — handles repeated daily loading without flexing
- Stake pocket sides — easy attachment points for hay retainer straps and panels
- Multiple length options — typically 8’6″ to 14′, fitting F-350 through F-550 and Ram 3500 through 5500
- Integrated toolboxes available — handy for ranch supplies, fencing gear, and tools
- Gooseneck ready — built-in gooseneck receiver option on longer platforms
- Powder-coat finish — long-lasting protection in the Texas sun and humidity
CM’s strength is its versatility. The same bed that hauls square bales in the morning can pull a gooseneck livestock trailer in the afternoon. For ranchers who need a multi-purpose bed, CM is hard to beat.
Best for: Texas and Louisiana ranchers who want a proven, multi-purpose flatbed that doubles as a bale-hauler. Works on standard pickups and cab-chassis trucks alike.
C5 Manufacturing Bale Beds
C5 Manufacturing (out of Kingman, Kansas) specializes in a narrower product category: purpose-built bale beds, dump flatbeds, and dirt scrapers. They’re a regional brand with a strong following in the Great Plains — but you do see their beds in Texas, especially in cattle country.
- Dedicated bale-bed design — taller sides and built-in retainer systems specifically for round bales
- Heavy-duty hydraulic options — some models include hydraulic side panels or bale-unrolling systems
- Regional focus — designed for flat-terrain, high-volume bale haulers
- Custom fabrication available — they will build to spec if you have unusual requirements
- Limited dealer presence in Texas/Louisiana — sourcing, installation, and warranty service can be harder to find locally
C5 builds a specialized product — if moving round bales efficiently is your only priority, their dedicated bale-bed designs are worth a look. But for ranchers in Texas and Louisiana who also need to pull trailers, haul fence posts, and carry tools, the lack of local dealer support is a significant drawback.
Best for: High-volume round bale haulers in flat-terrain operations where local dealer service is less of a concern.
DewEze Bale Beds
DewEze (an ATD — Allied Products — brand) is the hydraulic specialist in the bale bed world. They’re known primarily for their hydraulic bale-unrolling systems and power takeoff (PTO) equipment — the stuff that actually unrolls hay in the pasture without the driver leaving the cab.
- Industry-leading hydraulic bale systems — DewEze’s hydraulic PTO unrollers are widely respected
- Bale spike / carrier systems — purpose-built for picking up and carrying round bales
- Requires proper truck PTO hookup — more complex installation than a standard flatbed
- Higher price point — hydraulic systems add significant cost over a straight flatbed
- Specialty dealer installation required — not a plug-and-play product
- Less versatility for non-bale tasks — if you only need a work platform half the time, you’re paying for features you won’t use
DewEze is the right answer for operations where unrolling round bales in the field every day is the primary truck duty — think large cattle ranches with hundreds of head where daily hay feeding is a must. For everyone else, the added complexity and cost usually don’t pencil out.
Best for: Large commercial cattle ranches with dedicated daily hay-unrolling requirements and the maintenance infrastructure to support hydraulic systems.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | CM Truck Beds | C5 Manufacturing | DewEze |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | High-strength steel | Heavy-duty steel | Steel + hydraulic systems |
| Primary Use | Multi-purpose + bale hauling | Dedicated bale hauling | Hydraulic bale unrolling |
| Truck Compatibility | F-350 through F-550, Ram 3500–5500 | HD pickups + cab-chassis | Requires PTO-capable truck |
| Gooseneck Ready | Yes (option) | Some models | Not primary feature |
| Installation Complexity | Straightforward | Moderate | High (hydraulics + PTO) |
| Local TX/LA Dealer Support | ✅ Yes — Star Truck Equipment | ⚠️ Limited | ⚠️ Specialty dealers only |
| Price Range | Mid-range | Mid to upper | Premium (hydraulic add-on) |
| Versatility | High | Moderate | Low (specialized) |
Which Bale Bed Is Right for You?
Here’s the honest breakdown:
- If your truck does multiple jobs — hauling bales, pulling trailers, carrying tools, running to town — CM is your best bet. It’s the most versatile option, has local dealer support at Star Truck Equipment in Wharton, TX, and holds up in real Texas work conditions.
- If you’re a dedicated round-bale operation and need a purpose-built bale-specific bed with specialty features, C5 Manufacturing deserves a look — just budget for the fact that service and parts may need to come from outside the region.
- If you unroll hay in the pasture daily and your truck is set up for PTO, DewEze’s hydraulic systems are the gold standard. But it’s a specialty tool for a specialty need.
For most Texas and Louisiana ranchers, CM hits the sweet spot of durability, versatility, price, and local support.
See CM Bale Beds at Star Truck Equipment
We stock and install CM Truck Beds — including their flatbed and bale bed configurations — at our Wharton, TX facility. We serve ranchers and agricultural operations across Southeast Texas, the Gulf Coast, and Louisiana.
Ready to spec out your next bale-hauling setup? Call (979) 532-1486 or contact us online. We’ll match you with the right CM configuration for your truck, your operation, and your budget.
Also explore our hay beds and bale beds for sale, or browse our full lineup of truck beds and flatbed truck bodies.
