Curtainside trailers are getting quite a bit of traction here in the U. S. market as more owner/operators and trucking company fleet managers become aware of the many significant benefits these types of rigs have to offer. Curtainsiders are built for maximizing productivity, saving companies both time and money. And as more private fleets and for-hire fleets discover the facts, more are making the move to go with the curtainside concept.
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:
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.
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.
Fleet managers have their hands full keeping trucks and freight in perpetual motion from Point A to Point B and back again, on-time and at the lowest cost.
Labor hours, fuel expenses, scheduling, dispatching—the job is complex enough as it is. So why should fleet managers use curtainside trailers? What freight managers don't need to deal with are gnarly loading issues and restrictions imposed by trailers that don't adapt to a diverse freight mix. A flatbed is ideal for some loads, but it can't fully replace an enclosed van trailer—which, by the way, will never serve as the sole substitute for a flatbed, either. The goal of accommodating ever-changing loads is a moving target you never quite achieve.
For certain loads, no conventional semi-trailer beats the open access of a flatbed. However, the bad news about flatbeds can be expressed in two words: the tarp. Many flatbed loads require tarping for protection from the elements as well as security. Any driver who regularly manhandles tarps can tell you about heaving a 65 to 100-pound canvas cover over a load, adjusting its position, tucking in corners, and tying it all down neatly with straps and bungies. This painstaking, arduous process adds at least an hour to the driver’s schedule at every pick-up. In bad weather, it can be hazardous work as well.
