Guys I shoveled grain out of many old wood bed pickups. Worse was wheat and oats, because it would lie lower than the metal strips, so a brooming was a must. Wood was always good except the beds that were not taken care of, ever run a scoop shovel and tear up a big ol splinter, the bed was to drie then.

I personally think wood was plentiful, steel was harder to machine back then, and then the wars took all steel that was made during those times.
Also back then (i think) the same planking machines were easier to set up all you did was change depth and length.

popcorn The Truth is Out There (Boy a big ol bull would still bust his [censored] if you stopped to fast and hehee that's because you always threw straw on the floor)