Trailer Specs

Discussion in 'Refrigerated Trucking Forum' started by spax, Jan 5, 2012.

  1. spax

    spax Medium Load Member

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    Aug 5, 2011
    United States
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    What would be the advantages/disadvantages of having a flat floor vs. t duct? Feel free to throw out any other desirable specs.
     
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  3. rogueunh

    rogueunh Road Train Member

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    Jan 4, 2011
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    I own both types of floors, and for what I do, I will never buy another duct floor. LOVE flat floors.

    I can sweep and clean a flat floor about 100 times faster than a duct floor, much easier to keep clean.

    Some people will say the ducts allow better air movement, I am also hauling 40 degree loads most of the time, not frozen, so can't really say either way on that one.

    I have debated people about the durability as well. One guy just the other day told me duct floors are much more durable, I have not seen that at all. I have never had to even repair a flat floor, but my duct floors have many repairs.
     
  4. kalh7

    kalh7 Light Load Member

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    Mar 28, 2007
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    some of it depends on if you haul any slip sheet reefer loads or boxed meat on the floor. cant really have a flat floor with those, wont have a way for the air to get back to the front of the trailer.
     
  5. Reefer Madman

    Reefer Madman Bobtail Member

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    Nov 22, 2011
    Dallas, TX
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    The reason for a duct floor is for circulation when the trailer tightly loaded for OTR. Flat floors are usually seen on grocery spec trailers for local and regional deliveries where they are unloaded with a pallet-jack or two wheeler. A flat floor is probably more durable than a duct floor, but the reason you see more repairs to a duct floor is because they are almost exclusively loaded with heavy forklifts, often by inexperienced and/or careless operators.
     
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  6. Husker_Trucker

    Husker_Trucker Medium Load Member

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    Aug 28, 2010
    Lincoln, NE
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    One advantage I like about duct floors or as I call them "blood rails" is if you haul combo bins of meat trimmings the bins are not sitting in pools of blood and fat. If they are on pallets it wouldn't be that big of a deal but if they're on slip sheets it could be a major mess. I've opened up some trailers and I swear that they slaughtered the pigs or chickens in the trailer to save on clean up in the plant.
     
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