Trucking Equipment
A quick primer on the different trucking equipment types you might encounter.Trucking equipment types – What do I need?
Do you know the difference between a flatbed and a stepdeck? Dry van versus a Conestoga? Lowboy versus a gooseneck? The trucking industry is reliant on equipment – no shipment can move without the proper equipment. If an ill-equipped truck shows up at the pickup site, delays occur.
Even if you’re not sure what equipment you might need to move your important freight shipment, the experts at Logistics Plus probably have what you need – or they can get it for you.
Types of Trucking Equipment
Box Truck:
A box truck, also known as a cube truck, cube van, box van, or straight truck, is a truck that carries cargo on the same chassis as the power unit and cab. These trucks are often used to move furniture, home goods, and smaller items, or for “hot-shot” expedited freight deliveries.
- Max Freight dimensions: (Length – 48-53 feet, Width – 8 feet, Height – 9 feet)
- Max Freight Weight: 7,000-10,000 lbs.
Dry Van (Enclosed) Trailer:
Dry Van trailers are generally enclosed and are commonly used to carry and protect freight from the harmful elements of the weather or the roads. Your shipment can be loaded on the rear of the trailer, normally using a loading dock. In cases where a loading dock is not available, some trailers come equipped with liftgates that can help get your freight from the ground to the trailer and back again.
- Max Freight Dimensions (53′ ft. Dry Van): (Length – 12-26 feet, Width – 6-7.5 feet, Height – 7 feet)
- Max Freight Weight: 45,000 lbs.
Flatbed Trailers:
Flatbeds are extremely popular and are widely used because they are very versatile. Generally, a flatbed is used to load freights on its tip, sides, and rear. With these capabilities, flatbeds have become the primary and leading assets of the trucking industry.
- Max Freight Dimensions: (Length – 48 feet, Width – 8.5 feet, Height – 9 feet)
- Max Freight Weight: 48,000 lbs.
Stepdeck (Single-Drop) Trailers:
Stepdeck Trailers are otherwise known as drop decks, and they are actually a variation of the flatbed trailer design that mainly consists of a bottom and top deck. These trailers are specifically designed to haul freight that cannot be transported on a standard type of flatbed, often due to height restrictions. Step decks can be open, or they can also be enclosed in a dry van or Conestoga-style trailer.
- Max Freight Dimensions (for the main deck): (Length – 37 feet, Width – 8.5 feet, Height – 10 feet)
- Max Freight Weight: 48,000 lbs
Conestoga Trailers:
Conestoga trailers come with a rolling tarp system used to cover and uncover the trailer and protect the freight. The benefit of a Conestoga trailer is that the tarp can be rolled back to allow side loading or unloading of freight.
- Max Freight Dimensions: (Length – 48-53 feet, Width – 8 feet, Height – 8 feet)
- Max Freight Weight: 45,000 lbs.
RGN (Removable Gooseneck) Trailers:
RGN or Removable Gooseneck Trailers are excellent for carrying tall or long freight. An RGN trailer comes with a detachable front, which can be dropped on the ground to create a ramp. It is capable of carrying freight weighing up to 150,000 pounds. It can go from 3 axles up to 20 plus axles for heavier shipments. RGN Trailers are more specialized, so they are also generally more expensive.
- Max Freight Dimensions (for the main deck): (Length – 29 feet, Width – 8.5 feet, Height – 12 feet)
- Max Freight Weight: 45,000 lbs.
Stretch RGN Trailers:
The Stretch RGN or Removable Gooseneck Trailer is designed to haul freight that is too long to be carried by a standard type of RGN. Depending on the weight of the freight, axles may range from 3 axles or higher. This means that the heavier the load is, the more axles are to be used.
- Max Freight Dimensions (for the main deck): (Length – 38-63 feet, Width – 8 feet, Height – 10 feet)
- Max Freight Weight: 45,000 lbs.
Lowboy (Double-Drop) Trailer:
A Lowboy Trailer is an unpowered trailer that is commonly used to haul freight. These kinds of trailers are generally designed to carry and transport taller items. This means that the items carried by a Lowboy Trailer are taller than the legal height of items commonly carried by flatbeds. The types of trailers are also good for hosteling freight between loading docks or within a freight yard.
- Max Freight dimensions (for the main deck): (Length – 29 feet, Width – 8.5 feet, Height – 11.5 feet)
- Max Freight Weight: 45,000 lbs.
Refrigerated (Reefer) Trailers:
A refrigerated trailer is a temperature-controlled unit. It is generally used for transporting chilled or frozen products. The temperature inside the trailer can be controlled no matter the outside weather conditions. Refrigerated trailers are very specialized and take additional fuel to keep the cooling mechanism running, and therefore more difficult to source and more expensive than standard equipment.
- Max Freight dimensions: (Length – 48-53 feet, Width – 8 feet, Height – 9 feet)
- Max Freight Weight: 44,000 lbs.
Ready to get started?
Whether you are looking for a specific transportation equipment type or you’re just not sure, the truckload transportation experts at Logistics Plus can help you with a wide range of in-house (through our NTL sister-company) and brokered equipment options to meet your needs.