CURTAINSIDE TRAILER BLOG

Benefits of a Curtain Side Body or Curtainside Box Trucks

[fa icon="calendar"] Jan 26, 2016 9:00:00 AM / by Pete Johnson

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Box trucks are a common sight on city streets every day. A closer look reveals the fact that, more and more, these short-haul, medium-load carriers are curtainside bodies. The Class B box truck in lengths up to 26 feet is the workhorse of local delivery. Companies ship items ranging from small boxes to mattresses to wall-sized flat-screens, all bound for local and regional destinations. The capacity to handle a wider variety of loads than a cargo van, combined with the economy of operating a truck smaller than a tractor-trailer, makes the workaday box truck a major player in the business of moving freight. Here are some of the reasons why curtainsides are becoming more common in that market:

  • Unlike a van trailer that can be unhitched from the tractor and exchanged for a flatbed, the cargo box is permanently mounted on the chassis of a box truck. A curtain side body optimize the flexibility of this configuration because they enable the accommodation of both larger freight that needs side access to load and unload, as well as smaller loads added and removed through the rear door, all in a single vehicle.
  • The nature of daily local deliveries in a box truck usually means multiple loads to different addresses carried in a single truck. Access to shipments inside the truck can be difficult when first-in/last-off is the status quo, typical for a box truck with one door and solid metal sides. In a curtain side body configuration, the driver can simply retract the side curtains to lay hands on any freight on the truck at any time.
  • Quick stops and speedy loading and unloading are the reality in urban areas where pickups and deliveries to small firms must be accomplished from a curb loading zone or with the truck temporarily parked on the street. Where off-street docks and/or helping hands aren’t available, the expedited option of retracting curtains for instant access to the cargo from either side, then quickly drawing the curtains again and getting underway to the next stop is a major perk for box truck drivers and their schedulers.

 

Interested in getting a curtainside van body installed on your straight truck? Check out our RolaGo brochure for more benefits, specs, features, and options:

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Topics: Benefits of Curtainside Trailers, Curtainside Bodies, Curtain Side Body

Pete Johnson

Written by Pete Johnson

Vice President, General Manager & Co-founder of Roland Curtains Inc. Pete was the first US employee for Roland International opening the US manufacturing business while creating sales in North, Central, and South America.

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