Most shipments fit one of three trailer families. Picking the right one comes down to three questions: does the freight need weather protection, how does it get loaded and unloaded, and does it fit inside a standard enclosed trailer?
Dry van
A dry van is the familiar enclosed box trailer. It protects freight from weather and theft and suits palletized, packaged and general goods. Loading and unloading happen at the rear, usually through a dock or with a liftgate/forklift.
- Best for: packaged, palletized and consumer goods that need to stay enclosed.
- Limitation: rear-only loading, and freight has to fit the box.
Flatbed
A flatbed is an open deck with no walls or roof. That makes it the choice for oversized, awkward or heavy freight — building materials, steel, machinery — and for anything loaded or unloaded from the side, top or with a crane. Pair it with a Moffett and it can unload itself anywhere.
- Best for: construction materials, equipment, machinery and oversized loads.
- Limitation: exposed to weather, so loads need tarping and careful securement.
Roll-tite / curtain-side
A roll-tite (curtain-side) trailer is a hybrid: a flatbed-style deck with a retractable weather-tight curtain over a frame. You get side and overhead loading access like a flatbed, plus enclosed-style protection from rain and road spray — useful for building products and industrial freight that can’t get wet but still needs to be loaded from the side.
- Best for: weather-sensitive building materials and industrial freight loaded from the side.
- Limitation: not as fully sealed as a dry van for high-value, theft-sensitive goods.
Quick decision guide
- Does it need to be fully enclosed and secure? → Dry van.
- Is it oversized, crane-loaded, or headed to a no-dock site? → Flatbed (often with a Moffett).
- Does it need side loading and weather protection? → Roll-tite / curtain-side.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between a flatbed and a roll-tite?
Both load from the side and top, but a roll-tite adds a retractable weather-tight curtain over the deck. Choose a flatbed for pure open-deck access, a roll-tite when the freight also needs protection from rain and spray.
Can a dry van deliver to a site with no dock?
Only with a liftgate and ground-level access, and even then unloading is limited. For true no-dock delivery, a flatbed with a Moffett is the better fit.
Have freight that fits this?
Talk to dispatch for a straight answer on equipment, timing and rates.