Curtainsider trailer

A curtainsider trailer, also known as a ‘tautliner’, is the generic name for a curtain sided type of trailer. It is the haulage industry’s most popular type of trailer and is used to carry a variety of different types of goods, which may be loaded / un-loaded from the side when the ‘curtain’ is open. Loading / un-loading in this way, usually via fork-lift truck, can provide an efficient alternative to doing so via the rear doors.

Curtainsiders usually have a hard-shell roof, solid front bulkhead, conventional rear doors and a retractable curtain along both sides.

When a traditional loading bay is not available, the curtains can be pulled back to provide access to the trailer's bed or its cargo, depending on whether you are loading or un-loading. It can then be loaded or un-loaded from either or both sides, in addition to the rear via its doors.

Curtain-sided trailers are also very useful where items being transported are either over-sized or simply awkward to load and un-load.

The curtains are on ‘runners’, top and bottom, and can be easily pulled back and forth for load access. Being able to do this can be particularly useful if you need to make multiple drops along a route. Drivers can access more of the cargo more easily compared to when un-loading from a box-van trailer.

Another advantage of a curtainsider is that, once the curtains are closed, the cargo is instantly protected from the elements without the need to spend time covering it, as may be required with a flatbed trailer.

Curtainsiders are available as single deck trailers and double deck trailers (also known as double decker trailers), the latter often with a ‘step-frame’ design, which together with the increased height, enables additional cargo to be carried. Double deck trailers can have their ‘second’ deck as a fixed deck or as a lifting deck that can be lowered and raised to load and un-load the cargo.

A curtainsider may also be a refrigerated trailer, offering the benefits of a temperature controlled trailer with that of easy access via the side. This variety is referred to as an ’insuliner’.

Several manufacturers, including Don-Bur, SDC, Montracon, Lawrence David, Schmitz Cargobull and Krone, produce curtainsider trailers. In addition, Don-Bur, SDC, Montracon, and Lawrence David also offer a range of double deck trailer options for the UK market, catering to more specialised transport needs.

TIP offers curtainsider trailers on a short-term rental or a long term lease basis from all of these leading manufacturers and others.