Container delivery equipment: Tilt-bed, roll-off, side-loader, and crane trucks

What truck types deliver containers?

Four methods cover most deliveries: tilt-bed, flatbed with lifting gear, side loader, and crane truck. A fifth, the hooklift or roll-off, is common for swapping bodies. Each fits different box sizes and customer sites.

The limits come from supplier pages. They are examples, not rules. Check each truck’s rating and load chart. Terms also differ. Some sellers say “roll-off” when they mean tilt-bed. Confirm the equipment when you buy or hire. The glossary defines tilt-bed truck, roll-off truck, side loader, crane truck, and flatbed truck.

What is a tilt-bed container truck?

A tilt-bed truck backs into position, tilts its bed, and rolls the container off the rear onto the ground. It needs no extra equipment on site. That is why it fits many homes and small businesses.

Conexwest describes its smallest tilt-bed truck as handling containers up to 24 ft, or a pair of smaller units such as two 10 ft boxes. It says the truck has the tightest turning radius in its fleet, which suits inner-city deliveries, mountain roads, and limited-access sites. It requires at least 60 ft of straight-line clearance. The tilt-bed with a trailer handles boxes up to 45 ft or several smaller units in one trip, and needs about 100 ft.

An Australian supplier, SCF Containers, lists a tilt tray as needing at least 4.8 m of height, 3 m of width, and 18 to 20 m of length. That is about 15.7 ft high, 9.8 ft wide, and 59 to 66 ft long. SCF also says tilt trays are not suitable for sites with overhead power lines, because the container’s height rises sharply when the tray tilts.

Ask the customer which way the doors should face. Conexwest asks whether doors should face the cab or the rear. That choice sets the final orientation. See also turning radius and overhead clearance in the glossary.

What is a flatbed delivery?

A flatbed carries the container on the trailer and does not unload it. Someone must lift the box off with a crane or forklift. It is usually cheaper, and it is common for long hauls.

Boxhub says that with flatbed delivery you must supply offloading equipment rated at 5,000 to 8,000 lb. A crane lifts any box, but a forklift works only if the box has forklift pockets. Boxhub says the driver is not responsible for offloading and a dead-run fee applies if the equipment is missing. It also says only new one-trip boxes are guaranteed to have pockets.

Eveon Containers adds that the entrance should be at least 12 ft wide. It asks for lifting gear rated at least 5,500 lb for 20 ft boxes and 10,000 lb for 40 ft boxes, and it gives a 90-minute offloading window. It says 40 ft and 40 ft high cube boxes lack forklift pockets and need a crane with a certified operator. Conexwest says it uses flatbed for many sites more than 200 miles from a yard.

Flatbed is rarely the right choice for a residential rental, where the customer has no crane. It fits business-to-business deliveries where the receiving site has gear. See container sizes and dimensions for weights.

What is a side loader?

A side loader has two hydraulic crane arms, one at each end of the trailer. They lift a container from the side with chains or hooks on the corner castings. The truck can set a box on the ground or load it back on.

Pier2Pier says a side loader can handle 20 ft and 40 ft ISO containers. It lists these site needs:

• Outriggers on solid, level ground before any lift.
• Access alongside the container.
• A clear safe zone around the swinging arms, free of workers and vehicles.
• A certified operator. Pier2Pier says certification is mandated in the U.S. and EU.

It also says a lift can take under 10 minutes, and that one driver can do the whole job. Conexwest notes that side-lifter deliveries are typically billed by the hour, from when the driver leaves the yard until return. SCF says the container is set down about half a metre from the side of the truck, so you need room on that side.

Pier2Pier is a European source and quotes new side loader trailers at EUR 80,000 to EUR 150,000, plus training, upkeep, and insurance. U.S. prices and rules may differ. See side loader in the glossary.

What is a crane truck?

A crane truck carries a boom that lifts a container and swings it into place. It suits tight sites, fences, and precise placement. Conexwest says its crane trucks handle containers up to 24 ft and can place a 20 ft box up to 25 ft from the truck. It says they can set a box over a fence, onto a raised platform, or on top of another container.

Conexwest says all crane deliveries use a certified crane operator and are judged case by case. SCF says crane trucks are generally used for boxes up to 20 ft, or where there is no room for a side loader or tilt tray.

Hiab, a maker of loader cranes, lists knuckle-boom cranes for container and mobile office lifting. It also lists MOFFETT truck-mounted forklifts, which it says can be mounted or dismounted in less than a minute, and MULTILIFT hooklifts, which it says can exchange bodies or containers in two minutes or less. Hiab’s overview lists no lift capacities, so ask the maker for load charts. The glossary has entries for Hiab and container forklift.

Do my drivers need a CDL?

Federal rules set CDL groups by weight, but check your state and local rules before you hire. Under 49 CFR 383.91, a single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 pounds or more is Group B. A combination with a GCWR of 26,001 pounds or more, where the towed unit’s GVWR exceeds 10,000 pounds, is Group A.

FMCSA guidance says a driver of a combination with a GCWR under 26,001 pounds does not need a CDL because of weight. A CDL is still needed if the vehicle carries hazardous materials or is designed for 16 or more people. That rule is from an FMCSA Q&A dated 2019. Trucks over 26,000 GVW generally need a CDL, and rules vary by state (Inside Self-Storage, 2007).

A heavy tilt-bed with a trailer can fall in the CDL range. Read the plate on your truck. See the glossary entries on CDL, Class B CDL, and GVWR. For other rules, such as DOT numbers, hours of service, and OSHA, read DOT, FMCSA, and OSHA compliance. This is not legal advice. Talk to an attorney or a compliance consultant.

How much does a delivery truck cost, and should I buy one?

Costs vary widely and no one price fits. One published price point is Pier2Pier’s EUR 80,000 to EUR 150,000 for new side loader trailers, a European figure. Get U.S. dealer quotes for tilt-bed, side loader, and crane configurations.

Compare owning with subcontracting. Operators can buy flatbed or roll-back trucks or subcontract through a towing company. A backup, such as a towing company or loaner truck, is also wise (Inside Self-Storage, 2007).

Run your cost per trip before you decide. Pricing a container rental fleet shows how.

How do I check a site before I send a truck?

A short site check prevents failed deliveries. Ask the customer or your dispatcher to confirm these items before the truck rolls:

1. Straight-line length for the truck type, and the width of the entrance.
2. Overhead wires, branches, and low bridges on the route and at the site.
3. Ground that is firm and fairly level. Soft ground can stop a side loader or a tilt.
4. Where the doors should face.
5. Underground utilities. See utility locate in the glossary.
6. Permits, if the box goes on a street. See permits, zoning, and HOA rules for operators.
7. Photos or video of the site. Eveon says sending photos or video helps when access is unclear.

Conexwest calls the site contact about 24 hours before delivery to confirm a two-hour window. It calls again about 30 minutes before arrival. That is a good pattern to copy. For more, see delivery access.

Next step

Find truck makers, crane suppliers, and delivery software vendors in the NPSA sponsors and exhibitors directory.