What Types of Box Trucks Are There?

Box trucks have an important role in transportation. When you decide to choose a type of box truck, you should understand it beforehand. Box trucks have many types and different manuals. They have different freight capacities. From them, I made a list of box truck types. I will tell you what the types of box trucks are. I will rank the box trucks in order of importance.

Types of box trucks

Common trucks include standard box trucks, refrigerated box trucks, dry freight box trucks, straight box trucks, tail lift box trucks, and multi-purpose box trucks. Other types include side curtain vans, flatbeds, compartment vans, and small cargo trailers. Some trucks are named for their purpose. You might see hazardous materials vans, landscaping box trucks, livestock box trucks, emergency response trucks, and mobile advertising trucks.

Standard Box Van

The Standard Box Van is the most popular commercial van, mainly used for transporting general cargo and raw materials. It has a fully enclosed cargo area, making it suitable for both short and long-distance transportation. Additionally, it can be used for moving services.

The load capacity ranges from 3 tons to 25 tons, and the lengths are 4.2 meters, 6.2 meters, and 9.6 meters. The box truck body is mainly made of fiberglass plywood sandwich or fiberglass PET sandwich.

Refrigerated truck

Refrigerated trucks have their own cooling system. This system includes a compressor, condenser, evaporator, expansion valve, and more. This unit uses a refrigeration cycle. It moves heat outside to keep the inside cool. Refrigerated trucks typically use XPS and PU insulation foam. They usually range in length from 4 to 9 meters and can operate between -18℃ and 7℃. Reefer vans are suitable for both short- and long-distance transportation.

Dry van truck

A dry truck transports goods that aren’t affected by temperature. It’s one of the most common truck types. This truck is fully enclosed and has a high load capacity. It is also fully enclosed and has a high load-bearing capacity and is highly durable, usually with a metal or plywood frame. They come in many sizes and are economical, reducing costs for logistics companies.

Straight/Box Truck

Straight trucks are one of commercial trucks that have a single frame from start to finish. The box section and the front section share the same frame and can be driven without a CDL license. Straight trucks are used to haul less-than-truckload (LTL) freight. It can be used to increase efficiency.

Taillift Box Truck

A tail lift box truck has a hydraulic or electric lift tailgate. This lift is at the back, making it easy to load and unload cargo. It’s great for moving heavy or bulky items like appliances, industrial equipment, or palletized goods. You won’t need a forklift or manual handling. Load capacity is between 2,500 and 30,000 lbs, widely used in urban distribution and short-distance logistics. It can improve loading and unloading efficiency and reduce labour costs. There will be a small increase in maintenance costs. However, the practicality is very strong. Highly recommended.

Versatile Vans

Versatile Box Trucks are versatile commercial vehicles with closed rectangular cargo compartments that integrate multiple functions to meet different transportation needs. The cargo compartment is typically 10-26 ft (3-7.9 m) long, with a capacity range of 12,500-33,000 lbs (5.7-15 tons), and belongs to the Class 3 to Class 7 category. They can be used for cargo transportation (e.g., retail distribution), special tasks (e.g., mobile stores or repair stations), or even converted into a refrigerated or recovery vehicles.

Side curtain van

This is a special van for the transportation of building materials and machinery with a sliding curtain on the side of the container for fast loading and unloading of goods, generally between 4 m and 10 m in length and with a load capacity between 6.4 and 15 tons. The side curtains can slide along the rail, and the top is covered with hard laminate. It has excellent performance in protection. It has high loading and unloading efficiency and good flexibility.

Flatbed box truck

Flatbed box trucks are mainly used for transporting large mechanical equipment and construction materials, which are of flatbed type and can be convenient for lifting, loading, and unloading. They are open, with lengths ranging from 4 to 12 meters, and have a maximum load capacity of up to 30 tons. They can satisfy the transportation of more irregular goods.

Compartment trucks

A compartment van is similar to a multi-temperature refrigerated truck; the interior is divided into several independent compartments, using a closed design, which can provide very good protection of goods and can transport different kinds of goods. The compartments ensure stability and reduce weight, and are usually made of fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP). Common lengths are 4.2 meters, 6.8 meters, and 9.6 meters.

Small Cargo Trailers

Small cargo trailers are enclosed trailers made of fiberglass composites for last-mile distribution services, which can transport small cargo and can be towed by pickup trucks or cars. The inside area is small and can only accommodate cargo of 3 to 6 square meters. With a load capacity of 2 to 3 tons, this small trailer is very convenient, and with the increase in market demand, Composite Box has also developed a refrigerated small trailer.

Dangerous Goods Vans

Specially designed for the transportation of dangerous goods, Dangerous Goods Box Vans are fireproof, anti-static, and have other features; the exterior is made of composite materials or metal materials, with thoughtful safety performance. They are equipped with a good ventilation system.

This kind of car has an anti-static device, anti-static tyres, and a grounding chain in the vehicle driving process and ground contact, which can discharge static electricity into the earth to prevent explosions. These vehicles have a cargo capacity of 3 to 8 tons and are equipped with a variety of safety features to ensure safety, as well as the ability to alarm at the first sign of danger. Driving this type of vehicle requires professional training and a corresponding license.

Landscaping van truck

Landscaping box trucks are generally used for the transportation of landscaping; the use of fully enclosed boxes generally has the performance of heat preservation. Although there is no refrigeration, there is isolation to mitigate temperature changes. The interior of the compartment is set up with tiered shelves and fixed shelves. Can facilitate loading and unloading of large seedlings, gardens, and so on. It can also be used to transport small flowers and plants. The interior will be installed with an automatic sprinkler system, and plants can be sprayed with water to maintain adequate moisture and nutrients. The general size is 4 to 9 meters, and the width is 2 to 2.25 meters. It is a high-quality solution for the landscaping industry.

Livestock Box Trucks

Livestock Box truck is specially used for transporting livestock, generally using pure metal to build the frame, and has good ventilation performance; the interior has a non-slip treatment, which can prevent the livestock from slipping and getting hurt. The interior will adopt the design of a layered structure, two or three layers, and can allow livestock to have space to move, but is also equipped with partition fences to prevent them from squeezing each other, fighting, and so on. The size is usually between 4 and 12 meters.

Emergency Rescue Vans

Emergency Rescue Box Vans can respond to natural disasters, traffic accidents and other emergencies with a box structure that provides enclosed space to store rescue equipment and medical supplies. It is usually equipped with satellite navigation and an emergency power supply. It meets the diverse terrain and climate requirements of Europe. The exterior is usually made of FRP-compliant material.

Mobile Advertising Box Truck

A mobile advertising box truck is a modified vehicle designed for outdoor promotion, featuring an enclosed cargo area with LED screens or billboards for dynamic or static ads on three sides or the top. Built on light or medium-duty chassis like the Foton Times H2, it offers mobility for urban and suburban use. Equipped with audio, power, and multimedia support, it ranges from 4.2 to 7.9 meters in length with a payload of 1.5 tons or more. This efficient, cost-effective solution is ideal for the urban and suburban markets. An efficient, cost-effective solution is ideal for brand promotion and events due to its wide coverage and dual transport-advertising functionality.