Box trucks
Not every load needs fifty three feet. A straight truck carries its body on the same chassis as the cab, which is what lets it reach a downtown address, a restaurant or a store with no dock. We run them dry and refrigerated.
| Body lengths | Commonly 16 ft, 20 ft, 24 ft and 26 ft |
|---|---|
| Interior width | Roughly 96 in to 102 in depending on the body |
| Interior height | Roughly 90 in to 96 in |
| Max payload | Roughly 6,000 lb to 12,000 lb, set by the chassis rating |
| Pallet positions | Around 6 on a 16 ft body, up to 12 on a 26 ft |
| Refrigerated option | Reefer body available, setpoint agreed at tender |
| Lift gate | Available where the receiver has no dock |
| Driver licensing | Most box trucks run under the CDL weight threshold |
Figures are industry standard and vary by manufacturer and by carrier. Confirm exact dimensions against the specific trailer before you plan a load to the inch.
Dry body or reefer body
The chassis is the same. The difference is whether the box carries insulation and a refrigeration unit on the front wall. A dry body is cheaper and holds more, because insulation costs you both money and interior space. A reefer body holds a setpoint, and everything on the temperature controlled page about agreeing that setpoint in writing applies here exactly as it does to a full trailer.
When a box truck is the wrong answer
Weight is the usual reason. Once a load is past roughly ten thousand pounds you are into dry van territory whether or not the pallets would have fitted. Long hauls are the other one: a straight truck is not economical across the country, so a load going a thousand miles usually belongs on a trailer even when the volume is small. Tell us the weight, the pallet count and what the delivery address looks like, and we will tell you which of the two it is.
Typical commodities
Restaurant and grocery resupply, retail store replenishment, catering and event freight, furniture and appliances, local produce runs, pharmacy and medical deliveries, and any cold or dry load too small to justify a full trailer.
Operating notes
What actually goes wrong with this equipment
Access is the whole point
A 53 ft tractor trailer needs room to swing, back and leave. City blocks, strip malls, restaurants and residential deliveries frequently have none of that. A box truck is the equipment that physically fits.
Payload is the real limit
Box trucks run out of weight far sooner than a trailer does. A load that is light and bulky suits them. Dense freight on pallets usually does not, whatever the cube says.
Lift gate is not automatic
If there is no dock at either end, say so at tender. Adding a lift gate after dispatch means sending a different truck, not fitting one to the truck already on the way.
Other equipment
Know what you need?
Send the lane and the freight profile and we will price it.