Conestoga Trucks: advantages, disadvantages and alternatives
The Conestoga Truck is a hybrid that offers the best of two worlds: the Dry Vans and the flatbeds. We present you the Conestoga’s advantages, its disadvantages and the transport alternatives.
Dry Vans
The main advantage of dry vans is that it keeps the cargo protected from rain, wind, snow and other weather elements because they keep the merchandise locked up in a closed space. The disadvantage of this equipment is that it can only be loaded from the back, in a limited space in width and height.
Flatbeds
On the other hand, flatbeds have the advantage that they can be loaded on the sides or on the top and they can also be adapted to transport oversized equipment. However, the load travels unprotected from weather conditions.
Conestoga Trucks
Conestoga trucks combine the advantages of dry vans and flatbeds. Conestoga platforms are the best option if:
- It is required to upload from the sides or the top of the truck, or it is an oversized and
- It is necessary to protect the load from weather conditions.
What exactly is a Conestoga Truck?
Basically, it is a flatbed with a rolling tarp-on-frame system that protects the cargo, as if traveling in a closed truck.
What are the advantages of the Conestoga Truck?
- They allow a fast loading and unloading since it can be done from the sides or from the top.
- Transports oversized loads
- Protects loads from weather conditions
What are the disadvantages of a Conestoga Truck?
- Being a specialized equipment, there is no great availability of equipment, it can take 3-4 days to have one Conestoga Truck available to collect the load.
- Its cost tends to be higher than other equipment, precisely because of its low availability.
If you need a Conestoga Truck, request a quote.
What alternatives are there to the Conestoga Truck?
If it is not absolutely necessary to move your loads in a closed space, you can choose another type of open deck truck such as flatbeds, step-decks, and double-drops, these trucks have greater availability. There are companies, such as Mexicom Logistics, which can pick up the day after receiving your notification.
Another advantage of choosing another type of open deck truck, such as flatbeds, step-decks, and double drops, is that the cost of transport will be lower than the cost of Conestoga Truck.
For more information about other types of open deck trucks, you can consult the open deck trucks dimensions and weight guide, as well as the type of loads that are regularly transported on open deck trucks and the 5 open deck trucks FAQ.
It really fascinates me to know that tarp trucks are actually just a flatbed with a rolling tarp-on-frame that helps its cargo to be protected when traveling though it differs from a closed truck. I think, if I were to transfer goods, I’ll take this option because it seems more flexible and that it can bring more goods compared to the traditional closed trucks. This kind of trucking services seems best for exporting goods.