Sep. 09, 2024
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[Read: &#;3 Types of Flatbed Semi-Trailers&#;]
A lot depends on what you want to get out of your trailer. Choosing the right flatbed trailer for you is going to depend on what you&#;re hauling, where you&#;re hauling, and how long you&#;re holding onto the trailer.
If you&#;re looking for something flashy, maybe an aluminum trailer is the way to go. But, if you want something to go to work, maybe you&#;re looking at a combo trailer. If you need something heavy-duty, an all-steel trailer could be right for you.
Aluminum flatbed trailers are typically your lightest option, lighter than steel or combination trailers, consisting entirely of aluminum &#; beam, side rails, and floors.
These trailers cost more than a combo and steel trailers, but on the upside, they do have a higher resale value.
Because aluminum deflects more than steel, these flatbeds are built with an arch (camber) in the trailer, which allows the beam to level as weight is added.
Combo flatbed semi-trailers are comprised of a steel beam, aluminum floor, and aluminum side rails. They provide the weight-savings of aluminum with the strength of the steel beam.
Combo trailers are less expensive than aluminum trailers and slighter more expensive than steel.
Steel trailers are built entirely of steel, including the beam, side rail, and suspension hangers, making them heavier than aluminum or combo.
They are a lower upfront investment; however, you won&#;t get as much on the resale value. It&#;s built to last and will be a good work trailer.
Pros:
Cons:
[Read &#;Conestoga vs Curtainside Trailers&#;]
A curtainside trailer, or curtain van, is a dry van and a flatbed trailer combined into one trailer. It loads like a flatbed but protects like a van with a ceiling, front wall, and rear doors. The sides are open to allow access for loading, and the rear swing doors will enable it to be dock-loaded, similar to a dry van.
Curtains hang from the roof on each side of the trailer, slide open, and close to provide an enclosed trailer. On the Curtain side trailer, the frame does not move, and therefore top loading is not possible.
Curtain side trailers are an excellent option for loads that require more protection and special handling or when it&#;s more efficient to load from the side. It&#;s also a good option if you have multiple stops to make.
[Read &#;7 Ways to Maximize Your Payload on a Flatbed Semi&#;]
[Read &#;Beam Ratings on a Flatbed Semi-Trailer&#;]
Aluminum trailers are lighter and less rigid than steel and flex a lot more than steel, so they&#;re built with an arch (Camber) to allow for flexing as the trailer flattens out when loaded heavily.
This arch might not be ideal for transporting long flat materials. Use dunnage racks to help fill that gap between the trailer&#;s arch and the product.
Space aluminum cross members closer together than steel cross members to support the additional weight from deflection, especially in applications where you&#;re rearing-loading with a forklift.
* Photo of a combination trailer with steel beam
Combination and all steel trailers have less camber with the steel beam and, therefore, are flatter trailers.
Combination trailers typically include cross braces for additional support. The weight of the load is distributed through the cross braces and back to the steel beam itself.
Most flatbeds are not properly set up to back up to a dock with a forklift loading from the rear. Consider your cross member spacing and composition to help prevent those popping screws and waves in your floor.
Read [&#;5 Ways to Prevent Damage to Your Flatbed&#;]
If you are rear loading or have concentrated loads, we recommend decreasing your cross members to a maximum spacing of 12&#; because aluminum cross members have more deflection than steel.
Steel cross members are stronger, so you can get away with spacing your cross members at 16&#;; however, you might still want to consider 12&#; spacing.
It is important you need to understand how your trailer is spec&#;d and the load it&#;s equipped to handle.
A trailer with 24&#; cross member spacing, and no side cross braces, should not be rear-loaded, and be mindful of the load toward the outside of the rail because the trailer is not set up to support the weight.
Suggested reading:
Contact us to discuss your requirements of side curtain trailer. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
Available in steel, galvanized steel, low profile for use with toolboxes and drop decks, winches are a very common way to secure a load on a flatbed.
They can be mounted on the driver side, curbside, or both sides of the trailer. It all depends on your philosophy. For the driver, it&#;s easier to work with straps on the driver&#;s side; however, it&#;s safer to adjust your load from the curbside if you&#;re pulled off the side of the road.
You might consider load securement points on both sides for taller loads to help prevent the load from shifting. Utility has a proprietary side rail with the winch tracks built into it, allowing winches to be placed on both sides of the trailer.
Depending on the manufacturer, you may or may not be able to use a pocket to secure a load.
Spools working load limits (WLL) will vary depending on the manufacturer. Be sure to check with them to understand the pipe spools rating.
For example, wrapping a chain around one spool can have one rating, but the rating may change if you wrap it around two spools. The angle at which the chain comes off the spool will also determine the load limit rating on the spool.
Consult with the manufacturer for chain ratings. Also, check with the DOT for load securement regulations, tie-down requirements for heavy equipment, chain ratings, etc.
J-Hooks (Flatbed J Plates) are an adjustable load securement system used with flat hook straps or chains.
The J Hook plates slide into the tracks located on both sides of the deck, and can be placed anywhere along the track.
[Read: &#;Pop Up Chain Adapters, D Rings, and Container Locks.&#;]
Due to the lower rear deck height, step decks can be a great option for hauling equipment, tall loads, and other cargo.
Generally, any load under 10 ft. tall and 8 ft. wide can be loaded onto a step deck trailer. Small loaders, skid steers, small excavators, or bulldozers are examples of equipment you can potentially haul on a step deck.
We recommend going with a Removeable Gooseneck (RGN) or a Lowboy for larger or heavier equipment. A Lowboy can carry cargo up to 12 feet high and heavier loads.
Step decks are an excellent option for hauling midsized equipment and provide the versatility to haul other loads.
[Read more about: &#;Hauling Equipment on Step Decks and Flatbeds&#;]
Bulkheads are important to cargo control. They are affixed to the front end of a flatbed trailer to prevent forward movement of cargo and protect the driver carrying heavy loads.
There are two basic types of bulkheads for flatbed trailers, the wrap around and the flat.
Choosing the right bulkhead is important for both safety of the driver and the cargo. You want something durable enough to stand up to shifting cargo while not adding weight to your trailer.
Flat Bulkheads:
Wrap Around Bulkheads:
[Read more about: &#;Bulkheads and Accessories&#;]
Many configurations are available depending on your needs, including bolt-on kits, steerable lift axles, and front and rear configurations.
Mount toolboxes between the spread axle or anywhere along the flatbed on either side.
A dunnage rack provides storage on your semi-trailer flatbeds for the wood (or dunnage) while transporting unpalletized loads.
They&#;re mainly used on flatbed, drop-deck, and gooseneck trailers to free up space on your trailer bed to allow you to carry more cargo.
And, they come in many styles and configurations, including baskets styles with or without a floor, side mounts, cross trailer mounts, and can be designed to hold dunnage as needed.
[Read more about: &#;Lift Axles, Rear Axle Dumps, and Additional Accessories&#;]
A combination of a flatbed truck and a dry van, curtainside trailers take the best features of those trailer types and combine them, making for an easy-to-load yet protected trailer. Also known as a curtain van, curtainside trailers can be loaded just like any other flatbed trailer.
However, curtainside trailers come with the added protection of a ceiling, a front wall and double doors located in the rear. Keep reading to learn about how and when you should use a curtainside trailer, as well as the advantages of opting for this type of trailer in the first place.
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Quick Apply!Curtainside trailers are flatbed trailers that have a front wall, open sides, rear swing doors and a ceiling. They have some of the same benefits as dry vans. For instance, with swing doors, a curtainside trailer can be dock-loaded just like a dry van.
Inversely, because curtainside trailers have open or soft sides, these trailers can be side-loaded like most flatbeds. The open sides of a curtainside trailer become soft sides when their PVC curtains are dropped and clipped into place, which creates a shielded barrier around the cargo.
Not to be confused with Conestoga trailers, curtainside trailers do not have structured sides for the tarp. Rather, they have a PVC curtain system that rolls down the side to clip and lock the curtains instead.
While the sides of a curtainside trailer are open, the sides of Conestoga trailers are framed. The tarp-on-frame system that Conestoga trailers have contrast with the open sides of a curtainside trailer.
Though Conestoga trailers have less width than curtainside trailers, they are generally taller, allowing you to haul taller freight. Another major difference between Conestoga trailers and curtainside trailers are weight and mobility of each style.
Since Conestoga trailers are made from an accordion-style framing system, the roof and the sides can expand from front to back. On the other hand, curtainside trailers have a fully immobile frame, hard roof, retractable soft sides and divider in the middle for support.
The soft sides of a curtainside trailer are retractable coverings that protect loads. Without these aerodynamic coverings, freight would only be protected from the top by the hard roof.
Curtainside trailers and curtain vans are two words for the same thing.
A curtainside trailer&#;s layout maximizes easy access to freight while allowing you to haul a wide array of freight. With the flexibility of a flatbed base and the protective nature of a dry van, curtainside trailers work for an array of haul types.
Here are some of the things curtainside trailers are used for:
Here is an example of a situation where you might want to use a curtainside trailer. Let&#;s say you have been scheduled for a set of multi-site deliveries, but first, you have to pick up your loads.
Your first set of freight is made up of a few pallets. Since pallets are being used, dock loading is preferred. The second load is a bulky material, but the shipper doesn&#;t have a loading dock, so sideloading with a forklift will work well.
Now that you have your loads, it&#;s time to drop them off. Though the first pickup was loaded via dock loading, the freight was placed in the front of your truck. This is fine because the delivery site has forklifts that are ready to use.
Your final delivery site ends up being a big box retailer, and they have a dock ready to receive the load. Once the paperwork is filled out and the truck is unloaded, you can move on without having to shift loads around.
Though curtainside trailers offer great accessibility and weather protection, there are still factors you need to consider when deciding if a curtainside trailer is right for you.
The biggest task when maintaining a curtainside trailer is maintaining the curtain itself. Though the curtain might be made from extremely durable PVC material, wear and tear can and will happen with regular use.
When it comes to repairing a tear, a heat gun can fix most holes because curtains are generally made out of PVC-coated polyester. Wear and tear aside, keeping the curtain clean is a time-consuming element of the maintenance process.
Though the process of curtain cleaning can be a task that you pay someone to perform for you at certain truck stops, you can also do it yourself. If you plan to take on the responsibility on your own, it&#;s recommended that the cleaning is performed in sections of five feet at a time to prevent the solution from drying.
Even though curtainside trailers were created to keep hauls protected from natural elements, curtainside trailers are far more susceptible to wind than their fully enclosed counterparts. Even box trucks have to deal with the wind, but without the extra weight of a full frame and a full load, curtainside trailers have a different center of gravity.
Wind also plays a crucial part in a trailer&#;s sail area. With the pockets that can be created within a curtainside trailer, the amount of pressure pushing against curtainside trailers is greatly increased.
A well-made curtainside trailer should protect your hauls just as well as an enclosed trailer can, barring extreme collisions. A major reason for using a curtainside beyond its protective abilities and ease of access is its efficiency.
Curtainside trailers can haul the same loads as most flatbeds, though curtainside trailers provide the added benefit of weather protection. Without being fully enclosed, this type of trailer create a more aerodynamic situation. Plus, as a leaner trailer type, curtainside trailers result in more efficient vehicles that can carry even more cargo since the vehicle weighs less.
Here are some of the best reasons to use a curtainside trailer.
With dual swing doors in the back and retractable curtains along the sides, curtainside trailers have two separate loading systems. The dual swing doors allow trucks to dock while being loaded from the back, while the open sides allow the truck to be loaded from the sides.
With box trucks and Conestoga trucks, the delivery process almost always adheres to the mantra of first on, last off. With curtainside trucks, this loading and unloading process is eliminated.
Since a curtainside trailer has open sides, forklifts can load and unload freight from either side at any time. This trailer layout makes it easy to drop off deliveries in any order without requiring you to reorder your truck every time, which would be rather time-consuming.
Since curtainside trailers have a hard roof, there is no need to cover freight with tarp.
While there are advantages of curtainside trailers, there are also disadvantages. Here are some details to remember as you consider the idea of buying or renting a curtainside trailer.
Curtainside trailers have a hard roof, meaning they cannot haul vertically oversized hauls that require flatbed trucks. If you have freight that is overly tall but also needs to be protected from the elements, a Conestoga trailer may be a better option for you.
Even though curtainside trailers are lighter than boxed trucks, they are heavier than standard flatbeds and Conestoga trailers.
Curtainside trailers expand the types of loads that you can transport. With a lightweight yet durable protective layer, curtainside trailers minimize the amount of time that it would take you to tarp loads on a normal flatbed, while also increasing load safety with a hard roof. Though it&#;s not perfect and there are other options, a curtainside trailer is great for many reasons.
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