5 Things to Know Before Buying Curtain Side Semi Trailer

Welcome back to our series on How to Buy the Best Flatbed Trailer. Today we’re reviewing the differences between a Curtainside and a Conestoga Flatbed Trailer. Both are great options to keep your cargo protected from harsh elements, and both are an easier, safer way of tarping your load than climbing on top and manually tarping it. 

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Both curtainside and conestoga trailers are classified as flatbeds. So what is the difference between the two?

We’ll get into some of the similarities and differences here. Some of the questions we’ll ask are:

• What is the difference between a curtainside vs. flatbed trailer?
• What is a Conestoga flatbed trailer?
• What are curtainside trailers used for?
• What is a roll top trailer?

Curtainside Trailer

A curtainside trailer, or curtain van, is a dry van and a flatbed trailer combined into one trailer. It loads like a flatbed but protects like a van with a ceiling, front wall, and rear doors. The sides are open to allow access for loading, and the rear swing doors allow it to be dock loaded, similar to a dry van. 

Curtains hang from the roof on each side of the trailer, slide open, and close to provide an enclosed trailer. On the curtainside trailer, the frame does not move, and therefore top loading is not possible.

Curtainside trailers are a great option for loads that require more protection or when it’s more efficient to load from the side. It’s also a good option if you have multiple stops to make.

• A curtainside trailer has rear doors like a dry van.
• Typically has a support system for the roof, side and center supports, and a rear door frame.
• They can be retrofitted to any flatbed but requires more modification to the flatbed trailer than a Conestoga kit.
• It’s a heavier setup than the Conestoga kit because the system includes a roof, frame system, front bulkhead, and rear door.
• They give the option to side load or rear load the trailer.

Conestoga Kit

A Conestoga trailer, or roll-top trailer, uses a sliding tarp system where the entire system (tarp roof included) slides from the rear to front or front to rear. This accordion-like system maximizes your loading options allowing for rear loading, front loading, side loading, or even top-loading if needed.

The tarp system includes a rollup tarp door, rear support, and a stationary bulkhead in the front. You can retrofit a Conestoga Trailer Kit onto any flatbed trailer.

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Keep in mind that with Conestoga Kits, there are many moving parts and should be on a regular maintenance schedule to keep it in good working order.

Pros: 

• More options for loading. 
• Kits can be retrofitted onto any flatbed trailer.

Cons: 

• The entire system is an accordion like system which presents an increased risk of mechanic problems. 
• The frame requires regular maintenance due to all the moving parts. 
• You are limited to the interior width of your tarp system. 

The Conestoga Kit is a great system if it’s well maintained and operates properly. You’ll defiantly want to have it on a regular maintenance program.

Available options on a Conestoga Kit:

• Man door for added accessibility
• Grab handles for safety
• Steps
• Front bulkhead clearance lights
• Inside lights to increase visibility
• Translucent roof
• Skylights

Ultimately both the Curtainside and Conestoga trailers are safer options than manually tarping flatbed loads. Tarping loads is more labor-intensive and adds increased risk while climbing on and off of loads.

Utility Keystone works hard at finding the best solution to meet the demands of your hauling requirements.

Read more in this series, How to Buy the Best Flatbed Trailer.

Optimizing fleet efficiency means acquiring more efficient trailers as well as making more efficient use of existing trailers. Buying curtainside trailers can be one strategy that addresses both issues. Fine-tuning the fleet mix to meet the freight demands of any given day—not to mention the unforeseeable future—requires flexibility and getting maximum use out of what you’ve got already. If your fleet includes too many flatbeds simply taking up space on the lot waiting for a rare oversized load, or a conventional van trailer that sometimes sits idle because shipments require side-loading, you’re not operating at maximum efficiency.

One of the benefits of curtain side trailers is that the large retractable curtain can serve also as a mobile billboard to get your logo and company brand out to the public in numbers a stationary sign or other ad media can’t match. Eye-catching graphics and brief, concise informational or promotional text gets millions of views a year as your trucks travel the roads daily. Unlike a permanent painting on a standard solid-wall trailer, however, the curtain can be readily changed when it's time to update your look or change your message. Your design should be composed by a qualified graphic artist—today, there are even graphic design firms that specialize entirely in truck trailer advertising art—and then printed on the PVC-coated polyester curtain, followed by a clear-coat for UV protection so colors and images stay vivid through long miles on the road.

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:

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.

Are you interested in learning more about Curtain Side Semi Trailer(fr,nl,mn)? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!