Tautliner

Tautliner or curtainsider is used as a generic name for curtain sided trucks/trailers. It is the trade name of commercial vehicles built by Boalloy of Congleton, Cheshire, England. The curtains are permanently fixed to a runner at the top and detachable rails/poles at front and rear, allowing the curtains to be drawn open and forklifts used all along the sides for easy and efficient loading and unloading. When closed for travel, vertical load restraint straps, connecting truck bed and curtain along both sides, are winched tight, hence the 'Tautliner' name. This stops the curtain from flapping or drumming in the wind and can also help retain light loads from slipping sideways.[1]

A tautliner semi-trailer
A tautliner medium truck.

The company patented the concept in 1969, and credits much of its popularity to its adoption by the haulier Eddie Stobart.[2]

See also
  • Flatbed truck, the standard general haulage truck before Tautliners

References
  1. Armstrong, John et al. (ed.) (2003). Companion to British Road Haulage History. Science Museum (London). ISBN 1-900747-46-4.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  2. Davies, Hunter (2001). The Eddie Stobart Story. London: HarperCollinsEntertainment. ISBN 0-00-711597-0.
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