to you flatbedders on here. I am just kinda curious about the use of curtainside trailers. I know in some cases with oddly shaped or over dimensional freight you would not be able to use a curtainside trailer but for the most part, are curtainside trailers usefull to average flatbed hauling or are these trailers just used for certain things. I see them out but not even close to the number of regular open flatbeds. Is there a certain reason why these are not used more? If your load could not be closed in with the curtains couldnt you just keep them slid open and use it as a regular flat? I am just curious about this. If going into flatbed is it just a smarter move and more diverse to go with a regular open flat or could a person get away with just strictly using a curtainside? Please explain the pro's and cons of this to me.

Curtinsides are very popular on the left coast. You can haul van freight in them as well as flatbed freight. You dont see them as much over on the "ditry side" :wink:

If we were to run the west coast all the time that would be the trailer or choice out here.

tootie

if a person were starting out in flatbed, would you recomend this type of trailer as an all the time trailer? Are there shippers out there that have any objection to hauling dry van freight on these? It just seems these things could be real handy and usefull, if you got into a lane that was dry of flatbed freight you could just load up a decent load of van freight. Sounds smart, but i am sure there are drawbacks, i am curious as to what they are.

By the same token, what about flatdecks with sliding tarps ? What are the pros and cons ?

You will see the curtain-sides in parts of the Northeast, such as upstate New York. They are used mostly to haul steel, lumber, etc., It can speed the process of tarping and is more versatile if you have access to van freight. There are some shippers who won't use a curtain-side for van freight due to the lack of security. It is more difficult to secure the load from theft than a regular van. The main reason many flatbedders don't use curtain-sides is the cost. A curtain-side or Conestoga can add about $15-17,000 to the cost of a trailer. It takes time to recoup that much of an investment. Lumber and steel are not known for their high rates. It can also limit your options for freight. Over-sized freight can also be a problem with this type of trailer.