A curtainside trailer will never be confused with a conventional box van or flatbed—not by freight managers or drivers at shipping companies that invest in curtainside solutions, nor by the shippers they serve. After achieving dominance in the Euro market (curtainsides are now the best-selling new freight trailer in the UK) the curtainside revolution spread across the Atlantic. Here are three unique features that illustrate why the U.S. market has been quick to embrace the benefits of curtainsides.
Freight Flexibility
Want flatbed load/unload convenience along with the capacity to accept odd-shaped or non-standard freight? Need shelter from the elements and the security of a box van for sensitive cargo? It’s not an “either/or” issue anymore. A curtainside allows you to handle whatever freight challenges your daily schedule throws at you. With the flexibility to exploit flatbed-style access on three sides without the need for a loading dock, as well as the enclosure provided by heavy, retractable PVC curtains, a curtainside quickly morphs to match today's changing load demands. You’ll also be free to say “Yes” to back-haul opportunities, as well as incorporate multiple loads in a single trailer without being limited by first on/last off loading.
Tarp-less Transport
Good drivers are hard to find and, today, even harder to keep. The skills of professional drivers are most efficiently utilized on the road—not beside the road, heaving a heavy tarp over a conventional flatbed load. The extra hour that tarping typically adds to every stop along a route is a drain on both time and labor resources. Curtainsides keep drivers and deliveries moving from point-to-point by eliminating the outmoded requirement to tarp loads to keep cargo safe from the elements. After quick loading from three accessible sides, then rapidly strapping the load to attachment points, a driver pulls the retractable curtain and is on the road again, where both he—and your customer’s shipment—belong. Stop paying for downtime and get back to profitability with a curtainside.
Easy Entry Level
You may not be ready to invest in an all-new curtainside trailer custom-built to your specifications. The good news is, you don’t have to wait to start benefiting from superior design and engineering. Curtainsides are available as a conversion to any existing flatbed platform you may already own. If you’ve got a flatbed taking up parking space in your fleet—instead of generating profits on the road—get it back into motion by adding a Roland curtainside conversion. The kit includes all the structural components and fittings required to convert any idle flatbed to an efficient curtainside you can dispatch every day to handle any freight. The upgrade can be completed at a Roland facility or handled by your own crew. Your one-trick flatbed becomes a multipurpose workhorse ready for the road in only about three days. Because a curtainside conversion only adds about 2,200 pounds to your total weight, the impact on efficiency is minimal while the expanded opportunities are maximized. It’s the quickest, most economical route to the benefits of curtainsiding.
Have questions about our Trucks and Trailers? Feel free to request info here…
