Commercial truck upfitting is moving away from static, heavy solutions of the past into more modular, lighter, and versatile accessories that offer fleets running light- and medium-duty equipment more efficiency and flexibility.
JBPCO subsidiary Leer Group, one of North America’s largest truck cap, cover, and truck accessory suppliers, showed off some of its latest innovations during SEMA 2025 in Las Vegas last week. A lot of Leer’s accessories attract pickup truck enthusiasts looking for different ways to trick out their rides with sharp-looking, useful upfits; the company also has a strong commercial fleet presence, Tracy Harper, Leer’s VP of marketing and ecommerce, told FleetOwner during a visit to the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Leer’s latest accessories are designed to solve real-world problems for truck owners, Harper said. “We have a strong commercial presence,” he noted. “We work with a lot of fleets, particularly the trades like HVAC and plumbing that like our truck caps and bed slide products.”
The shift to modular caps and versatility
The shift in market preference from heavy, traditional fiberglass or aluminum shells toward flexible modular systems is most pronounced in the truck cap segment.
Harper said this is a significant area of growth for Leer Group, noting the popularity of the new modular cap (such as the Leer NexCap). These caps are often metal-constructed and feature Molly panels on the sides, allowing for endless customization and mounting options for specialized tools or recovery gear.
The modular design means the cap can be easily removed by an individual, eliminating the need for a forklift—a feature that provides instant flexibility for fleet managers. “I would say that my favorite is the modular cap with the Molly panels on the sides,” Harper said. “You can do different things, like you can mount your fishing poles on the side, or you can put… different mounts on there, you know, bike rack or whatever.”
