The enclosed cargo box of box trucks is exposed to outdoor conditions all year round. Africa features large temperature difference between day and night, heavy rainfall in rainy seasons, and salty dust in the air, which easily causes steel plate oxidation and rust. Once rust occurs, it will erode steel plates and damage the welded structure of the cargo box. In severe cases, plates get thinner and weld seams crack, threatening cargo transport safety. Proper anti-rust treatment is essential to extend the service life of box trucks exported to Africa and cut maintenance costs.https://www.hjtrailer.com/truck/box-truck/white-4-2m-light-duty-box-truck.html
The anti-rust treatment for the cargo box of HOWO box truck covers the whole process: plate pretreatment, fabrication, welding and final painting. Before steel plate cutting, sandblasting is applied to remove scale, rust and oil, creating a rough surface to improve primer adhesion and prevent coating peeling at a later stage.
The first anti-rust step is epoxy anti-rust primer spraying. The primer sticks firmly to steel to isolate air and moisture and block oxidation, serving as the basic protective layer. Weld seams are weak points for rust. High temperature during welding destroys the original coating. After welding and slag grinding, touch-up primer must be applied on weld seams to protect joints from rust.
The second step is intermediate sealing coating. After primer curing, the intermediate sealing paint is sprayed to block moisture, salt and dust, boost anti-corrosion performance and reduce UV and rain aging damage to the primer.
The third step is topcoat painting. Weather-resistant industrial topcoat with UV resistance, rain erosion resistance and sand abrasion resistance is applied. The topcoat forms the outermost barrier to protect the primer against strong sunlight and rain soak in Africa and slow coating aging.
Extra thick coating is applied on corners, bottom floor and bottom cross members that easily trap water and mud for stronger rust protection.
Besides factory pre-coating, daily maintenance also matters for rust prevention. In humid and rainy Africa, clean accumulated mud and water on the box floor after each trip. Inspect scratches and damaged paint regularly. Once bare steel is exposed, repair the coating immediately to stop rust spreading. Vehicles working near coastal zones need more frequent cleaning and inspection because salt mist speeds up rusting.
Our HOWO box truck, manufactured in our own factory, supports customizable anti-rust processes and RHD conversion for long-haul freight in Africa. Every 6×4 box cargo truck will undergo coating quality inspection before shipment. If you purchase box trucks exported to Africa and want better rust resistance for cargo boxes, contact us for customized anti-rust solutions.
