Problem: Your customer wants this body, but he wants it on that truck. Solution: Swap the bodies from one truck to the other.
That is one way to solve the problem and I have done it many times myself. I do recommend that you do everything you can to keep that to a minimum. When it is done, it is a good and fair thing to make sure that all expenses of the swap get charged against the sold unit so that you do not record a false gross profit and raise the cost of the stock unit falsely. Another thing is to make sure that all the details are followed up on like changing body stickers, inventory records, flooring records, etc. In addition, the swap should be done by a reputable body company so that the units are properly certified and you have their insurance policy in the liability loop.
Another way is to find a unit through your dealer body that fits the need of the client. This is a better way for all concerned if it is available.
You might want to swap the unit because the chassis the customer wants is an old stock unit and you want it to go away. Swapping the body then will solve two issues.
I think that generally speaking, the body swap is a thing to do rarely, but make sure it is in your toolbox to use as needed. It can be a huge benefit from time to time. Here's one of those times: You have a previous year unit that is just getting older. Let's say you have an 84" CA with an 11' Service body on it. I would recommend swapping that Service body with a plain flatbed so you can put a very inexpensive body on the old unit and cheap sell it to get it on its way out of your inventory. This strategy has paid huge dividends to me over the years and the the dealers I have suggested it to along the way.
The great news about this kind of operation is that the truck may go down in value, but the body doesn't. The body is also not a permanent fixture. It can be changed. Used sparingly, but fruitfully, the body swap is a great tool.
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