Today's fleet managers can't afford to leave profitable opportunities on the table.
One meaningful source of freight revenue are back-hauls. Most anyone can make money hauling freight from Point A to Point B. But if you're pulling an empty trailer or bobtailing all the way back to Point A afterwards, you're losing money on fuel and wear and tear on every one of those return miles. The opportunity to haul freight both ways helps compensate for the return trip to home base—but only if your trailer has the versatility to accommodate a diverse assortment of loads.
A standard open flatbed and a tarp might do the job for the outbound load, but what if the only available back-haul needs the shelter and security of an enclosed trailer? In another scenario, the back-haul freight opportunity at Point B might require side access to get it on board. If you're rolling with a standard van and a single rear access door, you’re out of both luck and money.
A Roland curtainside provides the best of both worlds to accommodate both the outbound load as well as a wide range of available back-hauls. Open access from all sides of a flatbed combines with the protection and tarpless efficiency of an enclosed trailer to provide optimum flexibility. Adding a curtainside trailer to your fleet also means these additional advantages:
- Expedited loading and unloading.
With the curtains retracted and the rear door open, loaders have access to the trailer bed from both sides and the back. This permits simultaneous loading by multiple forklifts and gets the truck back on the road quickly. - Partial loads are very doable.
The capacity to carry multiple back-hauls in a single trailer is facilitated by a curtainside's three-side access. All parts of the total load are accessible all the time. Due to the generally lower per-mile rates of back-hauls, the more you can incorporate into a single trailer, and then unload quickly and efficiently, the better your bottom line looks. - Reduced tarping requirements.
When necessary, the lost time spent tarping flatbed loads is one of the things freight managers accept as just the cost of doing business in trucking. However, you still want to minimize it whenever and wherever possible and get drivers back on the road ASAP after loading is completed. While Federal law requires strapping to secure loads inside an enclosed curtainside trailer, the process is far less time-intensive than tarping. It's also safer, as your drivers aren't required to heave hundred-pound tarps in often inclement weather, reducing the risk of back injuries and slip-and-falls that are frequently the source of insurance and workmen’s comp claims. - Lower operating costs.
Our unique aluminum structural assembly and fiberglass roof sheet contribute maximum strength and durability while adding minimal weight. This keeps fuel expenses low, simplifies maintenance and reduces life cycle cost.
In 1965, Roland began providing curtains for curtainside trailers in Western Europe, where freight facilities often don't include the back-in loading docks we take for granted in the states. As the freight industry here became aware of the inherent efficiency of three-side loading and unloading provided by curtainside trailers, demand on this side of the Atlantic began to surge. Today, Roland curtainside trailers are utilized by both small and large fleets coast-to-coast, hauling freight as diverse as lumber and building materials to paper products, glass, and classic cars.
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