Comparing a curtain side trailer to flatbed tarp systems

The good news is that flatbed trailers are versatile and adaptable to loads that vary in both size and weight. The bad news? Over 60 percent of flatbed loads require comprehensive tarping. Manually tarping flatbeds is an ergonomic nightmare and a worker's comp attorney&#;s dream. The requirement to heave unwieldy tarps as heavy as 100 pounds while perched precariously atop a flatbed excludes many otherwise competent professional drivers from hauling flatbed jobs. It's also a major turn-off to potential new hires, as well. It is no wonder that curtain side trailers&#;which totally eliminate the need for manual tarping&#;have achieved major market penetration in the U.S. trucking industry, in a relatively short time.

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Flatbed tarp systems attempt to make the job of tarping a flatbed more efficient, faster and safer than manual methods. Here are three common systems.

• Side kits incorporate arching metal bows that extend up and over the bed from side panels, attaching to corresponding panels on the other side. This forms a curved metal structure over the bed, on top of which the tarp can be secured&#;sort of resembling a pioneer covered wagon. A side kit saves time and simplifies tarping. However, the tarp still must be manhandled over the structure by the driver, who must climb onto the trailer and manually push/pull the heavy tarp across the framework. Studies show that effort required imposes substantial strain. Back injuries and rotator cuff injuries are common, as is the hazard of slip/fall injuries.
  
  
  
  
• Rolling tarps eliminate the need for a driver to climb up on the trailer. Think of a flatbed trailer covered with a box-like framework supporting a tarp. The tarped framework compresses like an accordion as it is pushed backwards on rollers, allowing access to the bed. After the freight is loaded or unloaded, the tarped frame is pushed forward again, expanding out to a full-length box that covers the entire bed. However, rolling tarps can be difficult to manipulate by one person if the rollers stick due to lack of lubrication, a dirty or damaged roller track or are jammed by ice and snow. Substantial force may be required to push the sliding structure far enough back to load, then all the way forward again.
  
  
• Overhead tarping systems installed at the loading dock or nearby utilize an electric motor to drag the tarp over the entire span of the flatbed front-to-back. The driver secures the bottom edge of the tarp at ground level. This eliminates both strenuous of manual tarping and the danger of climbing up and standing atop freight while doing it. The drawbacks are that many shipping facilities don&#;t invest in overhead tarping systems and, where they do exist, there may be a waiting time to gain access.

The Curtainside Alternative

A curtainside utilizes full-length gliding retractable curtains on both sides of a flatbed trailer, as well as conventional rear doors and a fixed roof. This configuration offers three-side load/unload access like a flatbed and also puts freight anywhere in the trailer within easy reach, at all times. When the curtains are closed and tensioned a curtainside provides optimum protection from the elements like an enclosed van, totally eliminating the need for tarping. For drivers, a curtainside trailer relegates the drudgery and hazards of heaving tarps to the past. For freight companies, the added efficiency of a curtainside opens up more profit opportunities from back-hauls, partial shipments and odd-shaped or oversized freight.
Curtainsides also add versatility to the fleet as a single trailer can instantly morph from flatbed-style access to conventional enclosed van as requirements change from day to day and hour to hour.

Here are a few samples of different types of curtainsiders to see the diversity offered, capability, and the ease of use.

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