The cargo is typically loaded and unloaded from the back of the fully enclosed trailer used to transport dry van goods. Although this caravan has a variety of uses, transporting commercial items is by far the most popular one. Dry van trailers are frequently backed up to a loading dock. The floor of the trailer is the same height as this loading dock.
A van truck typically has a forklift or pallet jack to make loading and unloading simple and fast. Without a loading dock, forklifts can also be used to unload dry van trailers. A forklift's forks can extend to the height of the trailer's deck.
A flatbed trailer is used for the transportation of bulky or unusually shaped items. The size of the flatbed truck's cab and engine may vary, but the flat trailer it tows, which serves as a bed for bulky freight, never changes.
Additionally, a forklift is used to load and unload items from machinery, palletized goods, and other things. You can also use a crane to remove objects from the flatbed trailer since it has no sides. The flatbed trailer has a few downsides despite being ideal for transport versatility.
The fact that a tarp system is the only means of weather protection for this caravan is its biggest drawback. It can only be used to transport goods that is resistant to water and other elements. There is a distinction between flatbed and dry van trailers in this regard.
The step deck truck was created to provide the traditional flat trailer more mobility. A drop deck's primary purpose is to make it possible to convey taller cargo loads. As the load is positioned closer to the road, the maximum cargo height is raised using a step-down from one level to a lower one.
The height of your load will determine the type of truck you require. Step deck trucks come in a variety of designs to accommodate loads of all sizes and shapes. The dimensions of step-decks, the different varieties of step decks, and how they compare to one another are all covered below.
A flatbed trailer with a retractable rack and curtain system is called a roll-tite trailer, often called a conestoga trailer. To load cargo with a forklift, the entire rack may be dragged back and forth. Once the cargo is fastened and prepared for shipping, the rack will safeguard it. Also available for step decks and double drops are roll-tites and curtain-siders.
When using a power-only truck, a carrier only supplies the semi-tractor and truck driver — often known as a "power unit" — required to haul a shipment and not the trailer it is resting on. Power-only trucking sometimes offers shippers who either own or lease the fleet of trailers they utilize to convey outbound freight an easy answer.
For each shipper, using power-only trucking is actually a very easy operation. Shippers who make use of this service engage with their transportation partner to identify a "power-unit" in their region and match it to their freight rather than looking for truck and trailer capacity.