What Are The Disadvantages of a Conestoga

Yes I haul lumber in New England maybe that’s why I don’t like them.

 

I pulled them for years. Never had an issue with loads. Great for hauling machines, and steel and alumn coils and other stuff. Only downside was opening/closing in high winds.

 

The wind would be my concern. How does a guy deal with opening and closing one with a 30 to 40 MPH wind?

 

The best trick I found was parking nose into the wind. However, it was not that much of an issue. In 5 years twice I had the problem

 

Opening or closing them on a hill doesn’t work either.

 

@supersnackbar thoughts?

 

I was curious. Rolling a tarp on a hopper bottom with the wind blowing north of 25 mph can be a real challenge.

 

Surely wind with a conestoga isn’t as bad as regular flatbed. I’ve had wind catch a folded up tarp and start blowing it back apart. A big unfolded tarp is like a parachute.

 

Just turn the truck around so the wind is working with you and not against you.

Try that with folding tarps in 40 mph winds.

 

Wind with a conestoga and a regular tarp can both suck. But with a conestoga you don’t have to worry about being blown off a load rolling the tarp out. When it’s not windy a conestoga is way easier for most regular flatbed freight.