A traditional Van Body or Flatbed isn’t the right fit for every industry, and luckily for companies with unique needs, there’s a better option. For businesses that need easy cargo access as well as protection from the elements, a Curtainside truck body can offer the best of both worlds.

Curtainsides provide an enclosed cargo area with curtains that open along the sides of the body, giving crews space to work with when loading and unloading. This makes them particularly useful for industries moving bulky, oversized, palletized, or difficult-to-handle products, which also require protection from wind and rain.

Based on these factors, we recommend the companies in the following industries look into Curtainside truck bodies:

Building Materials and Millwork

Building supply companies are probably what comes to mind first when you think about Curtainside bodies. Lumber, windows, doors, moulding, trim, and other building materials aren't easy to load through the back door of a traditional van body.

Side access allows crews to load long or bulky materials more easily and gives them more options when delivering to job sites without loading docks. The curtains also keep valuable materials, such as untreated wood, protected from rain, snow, road spray, and other elements during transportation.

Landscaping

Landscaping and hardscape companies rarely move just one type of material. A single delivery route might include pavers, retaining wall products, fencing, irrigation supplies, and more. Turf suppliers have their own unique delivery requirements, but they face many of the same challenges when moving bulky materials to jobsites.

The variety of cargo most of these companies carry, combined with the unpredictable nature of jobsite deliveries, makes a Curtainside particularly useful. Materials may need to be dropped at the edge of a property, alongside a new construction project, or directly at an active jobsite. A Curtainside gives crews more flexibility to access and unload different types of cargo from the side of the body, even when space is limited.

With the right combination of interior equipment, liftgates, and cargo-control options, a Curtainside can adapt to whatever the next delivery has in store.

HVAC, Plumbing, and Electrical Supply

For distributors making multiple deliveries throughout the day, loading and unloading efficiently can have a major impact on the route. HVAC, plumbing, and electrical products also come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, making a single loading method impractical.

A Curtainside gives crews more ways to access the cargo, making it easier to get to the right product without having to unload everything in front it. When paired with an organized interior layout and appropriate cargo-control equipment, the body can help crews spend less time digging through a mixed load and more time making deliveries.

Windows, Doors, and Glass

Window, door, and glass companies face many of the same challenges mentioned above. A Curtainside's key advantage is that it keeps products enclosed during transit, so glass can stay squeaky clean and ready to install at the delivery site. Interior racks and other cargo-control equipment can also be incorporated to keep fragile products secure throughout the delivery route.

For glass companies specifically, our MyGlassTruck product line includes the Champion Glass Truck Body, which is a Curtainside body designed for transporting large volumes of glass. The Champion combines the accessibility of a Curtainside with specialized glass-carrying racks mounted on the floor.

Is a Curtainside a Good Fit for Your Business?

While you’ll commonly see Curtainsides used by companies in the industries we mentioned above, the perfect candidate for a Curtainside body isn't necessarily defined by their line of business. It depends entirely on how an operation moves and delivers its products.

A curtainside may be a good fit if you:

• Carry bulky, oversized, palletized, or awkwardly shaped products
• Make deliveries to locations without loading docks
• Need forklift or equipment access
• See the advantage of unloading products from the side of the truck
• Like using flatbeds, but need additional cargo protection
• Transport different types of freight and need a truck body that accommodate all of it

Ultimately, the right truck body depends on what you're carrying, where you're delivering it, and how your drivers or crews work throughout the day.

Victory Builds Better Curtainsides By Default

We often say our truck bodies are “Built Better By Default, and our Curtainside bodies are no exception. We don't start with a bare-bones body and make you pay extra to get the features your operation actually needs; instead, we start by considering how the body will be used, what it will carry, and what your team needs to keep moving forward.

Our Curtainside bodies can be configured with features such as liftgates, walk ramps, forklift carriers, cargo-control systems, and specialized interior equipment to create a truck exactly how you need it.

If you're wondering whether a Curtainside is right for your operation, talk to the Victory team. We'll help you find the right truck body for your business.

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