To Haul Or Not To Haul: Freight Types

In the world of trucking, many companies haul many different products, If you've started considering trucking as a career, I'm sure you've looked a little closer at the semi's you pass on the road....(I honestly doubt they're passing you, going 58-65mph) ha! Now, moving on, You see many different types of trailers, from the most common regular van type trailers, known formally as 'Dry Van', and a variation, that has a refrigeration unit on the front, and usually has shiny rear doors, also known formally as "Reefer" which is short for refrigerated trailer.

You'll also catch Flatbed trailers, which usually haul over sized/overweight items, such as construction equipment, along with lumber, pipes, etc. Some truckers refer to this as "Skateboard" trailers, which personally, I've always disliked...Then Finally you have tankers. Tankers are usually of two varieties, smooth bore, or not. Smooth bore tankers are used for certain chemicals, and food grade products. This means they do not have baffles or bulkheads, reducing the amount of movement in the tank itself. There are also a few more styles, which I'll group together to what I feel are comparable categories.

This will be a series of posts, with each transitioning into the next, talking about the differences in hauling, certain requirements, etc. These will not be definite posts, rather, a general overview of what to expect when hauling.

Onto Part 1: Dry Van - Coming Soon!