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What Is A Straight Truck? Delivery Vehicle Types and Uses

April 3, 2024 | By Jacob Lee
Last Modified: April 3, 2024
Straight trucks are often used for the final delivery of goods. They come in many variations and have numerous benefits for business. Use our guide to learn more on how they can help.

Straight trucks are best described as single, rigid vehicles consisting of a cab and cargo area. Unlike a tractor-trailer, the cargo area is fixed and doesn’t detach, making it ideal for operation in cramped or tight places like cities and neighborhoods. They have many unique designs and are frequently used for final delivery.

The final mile requires precise timing and the ability to adapt to unforeseen obstacles like traffic or delivery restrictions. Having the right vehicle impacts a company’s ability to overcome these challenges and deliver goods with ease.

Learn how straight trucks work, their various forms, and the type of cargo you can transport with one in our guide. 

What Is A Straight Truck and What Are They Used for?

Straight trucks can sometimes be referred to as box or cube trucks. They consist of a main cab and an attached cargo area, all secured to one chassis so it operates as a single unit. 

The majority of straight trucks used in final mile have an enclosed cargo space. Picture a typical moving truck available for rent that has a cab compartment of a heavy-duty pick-up truck and the rectangular ‘box’ in the back for storage. 

Some straight trucks don’t have a cargo area that’s entirely enclosed. Instead, they have a flat deck with racks that run along the length of it on each side. The top and rear of the cargo area isn’t blocked off by any obstructions. 

This makes loading freight into deck easier from these angles. For other box trucks, the cargo is simply an open deck. Essentially, these vehicles look like a shorter version of a flatbed trailer with a cab at the front. 

Straight trucks can serve a wide range of uses, but we’re going to focus on the common box truck style. It’s by far the most common vehicle used to transport goods the final mile from a distribution center or warehouse to the customer’s door.

What Are the Classes of Straight Trucks?

Box trucks typically fall into vehicle classes 3 through 8. We’ve included some data on these classes and the corresponding weight range for each. 

Vehicle Classes of Straight Trucks

Vehicle ClassWeight
Class 3 10,000 lbs — 14,000 lbs
Class 414,001 lbs — 16,000 lbs
Class 516,001 lbs — 19,500 lbs
Class 619,501 lbs — 26,000 lbs
Class 726,001lbs — 33,000 lbs
Class 833,001lbs +

Provided by Imperial Supplies

While most straight trucks will likely fall into the Class 7 and 8, some of them are light enough to fit into Class 3. Due to their wide weight range, these vehicles can fit into a variety of classes. 

A blue platform truck parked next to a building

What Are the Types of Straight Trucks?

Box trucks come in numerous styles that are perfect for hauling different types of freight. These vehicles can be broken down into three distinct forms. 

  • Dry freight
  • Refrigerated
  • Platform & dump

Each type of straight truck is specially suited to transport specific types of cargo. 

Dry Freight Straight Trucks

Dry freight box trucks are the most common type of straight trucks. They’re designed to transport non-perishable goods and can come in a few variations. 

These include:

  • Standard box truck
  • Proscape-van
  • Furniture mover
  • Curtainsider

Standard box trucks have an enclosed cargo area with doors that can swing open or roll up. Proscape-vans are similar in shape, but have a ramp that slides to the ground. This feature makes loading and unloading easier. 

Furniture movers have a side door and ramp for workers to easily maneuver heavy and awkward sized cargo. They can be used for final delivery, but homeowners that are moving may use them as well. 

Curtainsiders have a cargo box that can be slid open at the side. While they are regularly used as mobile stages, we’ve found they are also great at shipping long  freight that you may want to load from the side. Think of it as having the versatility of a flatbed, but without the exposure to the elements.  

Refrigerated Straight Trucks

Refrigerated cube trucks have a built-in cooling system to keep goods at specific temperatures, ensuring they stay cool while being delivered to the final destination.

They can be used to carry the following:

  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Meats
  • Dairy products
  • Flowers
  • Ice

To enhance efficiency and maintain temperature consistency, the walls, floor, and roof of the cargo area are heavily insulated. This insulation helps prevent external temperature conditions from affecting the cargo.

If you ship any kind of perishable, such as from a local grocery or even a florist, refrigeration, and temperature control makes a big difference.  

Platform & Dump Trucks

Platform trucks are essentially the flatbed variant of box cube trucks. They have an open cargo area and some even come with racks on the side. 

Other features include:

  • Heavy-duty construction
  • Hydraulic lifting

Platform and dump trucks are built to withstand the rigors of hauling heavy loads.  They have reinforced frames and robust suspension systems to handle the weight and stress of transporting heavy materials for final delivery. 

Dump box trucks come equipped with a hydraulic lifting mechanism that enables the cargo area to tilt, allowing the contents to be dumped or unloaded efficiently.

If you’re running a medium to small construction vehicle rental business, partnering with a last mile company that offers these is awesome. Most are easy to load and can easily fit things like a single stump grinder or even a skid steer. It also means you don’t have to worry about the quality of other people’s trailers or maintaining trailers of your own. 

What Dimensions Do Straight Trucks Come In?

Just as box trucks come in many designs, they also come in different dimensions. We’ve provided some measurement ranges they commonly have. 

Dimensional Ranges for Box Trucks

Length10–26 feet
Width5–8 feet 6 inches
Height6–8 feet 6.5 inches

Provided by Cover Wallet

The gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) for straight trucks is anywhere between 26,000 to 33,000 pounds. That said, they can be as light as 12,000 pounds. 

These dimensional ranges and weight capabilities allow businesses to transport numerous kinds of freight to the final destination.  

A straight truck parked on a narrow city street

What Type of Freight Are Straight Trucks Best Equipped To Haul

Businesses requiring last mile delivery often fear straight trucks don’t have the equipment or space to move their cargo. Fear not because the various designs of these vehicles mean shippers can move most types of freight common to last mile needs. 

  • General merchandise and dry goods: Palletized and non-palletized goods consisting of furniture, appliances, and electronics
  • Temperature-sensitive freight: Perishable items that can also be transported as palletized or non-palletized cargo
  • Construction and landscaping materials: Sand, gravel, soil, and roadwork equipment materials commonly used in construction and landscaping projects.

With the ability to move various kinda of cargo, box trucks are extremely flexible vehicles that can meet the needs of a business. 

Need to move a refrigerator to a home or business? Our article on how to ship a refrigerator will be able to help you. 

What Are the Advantages of A Straight Truck? 

The compact size of a straight truck ins’t a limitation. In fact, its maneuverability and fuel economy, among other things, are the reason it’s so popular among last mile delivery services.  We’ll explain these benefits and others to show why these factors are so beneficial.  

Size and Maneuverability 

Most final mile deliveries occur in cities or neighborhoods, where it can be difficult for large vehicles to operate. That said, even the biggest cube truck is still compact enough to navigate through these congested conditions. 

Since these are the areas where most deliveries occur, box trucks are the perfect vehicle for transporting goods to the final destination.

Fuel Economy

Cube truck drivers are assigned a route where they’ll be making their deliveries. Each stop is usually located in a city or neighborhood. As a result, the destinations are very close to one another. The start and stop can be rough on fuel use and braking systems. 

Thankfully, the compact size of these means the mechanical systems don’t have to work quite so hard, and they still have enough fuel capacity to make multiple stops along one route. 

They burn much less fuel performing short runs compared to a semi truck that travels great distances.

Since cargo doesn’t travel very far, box truck businesses don’t have to charge as much to cover the cost of gas. Maintenance of these vehicles isn’t very expensive, either. This helps make them a cost-effective way of transporting freight. 

If you’re worried about expenses, then read our article on last mile delivery costs and how they impact on your profits.

Speed

The maneuverable nature of straight trucks allows for faster loading and unloading of goods. This is especially true for proscape-vans thanks to their extendable ramp and furniture movers for their side door. 

Straight truck drivers can quickly navigate their vehicle out of cramped environments and head on their way to the next stop on their route as well. 

Choose Lightning Fast Delivery with USA Last Mile Logistics 

At USA Last Mile Logistics, we understand the critical role that effective delivery services play in the success of your business. Our providers have state-of-the-art straight trucks designed to meet the diverse needs of our clients. We’ll ensure your goods are delivered with the care, speed, and efficiency that you and your customers deserve.

We invite you to reach out to us on our site and discover how USA Last Mile Logistics can transform your delivery operations. Call us today at (866) 569-1445 to learn more about our services and how we can customize a logistics solution that fits your exact needs.

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