In addition to offering convenience and flexibility, curtain side trucks and vans, or curtain siders, also help save time, money, and labor. Unlike an enclosed boxed truck or dry van trailer an operator must load/unload typically from one rear-located door, curtain side trucks enable easier loading and unloading from at least one (but potentially both) sides of the truck or trailer upon drawing back the curtain. Unlike flatbed trucks that leave cargo exposed to weather damage and would-be thieves or require tarping a load, curtain side trucks still cover and protect the load.
Used to transfer landscaping materials, lumber, piping, windows, chemicals, appliances, and other materials for construction, industrial, commercial, and other applications, curtain side trucks give delivery drivers more flexibility in their routes when making multiple deliveries due to the quicker, easier access to cargo, thus eliminating the need to load cargo in a first-on, last-off manner.
Manufacturers of curtain side trucks include DAF, ERF, HINO, Isuzu, IVECO, MAN, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Fuso, Renault, Scania, and Volvo. Curtain side van manufacturers include Ford, IVECO, Mercedes-Benz, and Renault. Curtain side trailers, conversions of flatbeds to curtain side trucks, and options to place business graphics and branding on the curtain are also available.
