With somewhere around 1.5 million curtainside trailers in use worldwide, it's interesting to note that only about 40,000 of these are being operated in the United States. They have long been a favorite in the U.K. and several other European countries, which isn't surprising inasmuch as they offer a significant competitive advantage when compared to traditional box trailers, not only because they are less expensive to purchase but also offer:
- Increased flexibility
- Greater value for the money
- Improved efficiency in loading and unloading operations
- Lighter weight, leading to fuel savings or the capability to carry additional cargo weight
When compared to regular flatbed trailers, curtainsiders offer improved cargo protection and a much quicker and safer process for applying this protection than having to constantly tarp and retarp your loads. Curtainside trailers save drivers time and energy and remove the risk inherent in climbing up on a trailer in order to secure tarps.
When You're Looking For Quick and Easy
Curtainside trailers offer two huge advantages to standard box and flatbed trailers, and a whole range of lesser benefits. The big advantage curtainside trailers have over box trailers is the capability of being loaded and unloaded from multiple sides and from the back. This one capability pays off in many ways, allowing loading and unloading to occur much more quickly. You can even load and unload simultaneously. And, you have immediate access to whatever portion of your cargo you need without having to move things around and pull them in and out of your box to gain access.
Compared to flatbed trailers, time savings is also a big deal; but not because of the ease of loading and unloading, since flatbeds have loading capabilities that are very much the same. Think about how long it takes to untarp and then retarp your loads over and over again and compare that with simply sliding some curtains over and fastening them at the bottom rail. Not only do drivers save tons of time from not having to tarp, but energy is also saved. Tarping is tough enough just once, but doing it over and over gets old fast. Plus, many injuries suffered by drivers are a result of falling while tarping.
Innumerable Options
Whether you're looking for a completely engineered and manufactured curtainside trailer or van body, or you want your own curtainside upper structure right on your existing flatbed trailer, the options are endless.
Would you like to learn more about about how a curtain side trailer might cut costs or improve your fleet efficiencies? Click here for more details:
Hear what one client has to say about their experience using Roland Curtains to build out their curtain side trailer conversions, curtainside vans and curtainside trucks.
