Tilt trailer / Curtainsider
Also known as: Tilt · Tilt trailer · Curtainsider · Curtain-sider · Tarpaulin trailer · Tenteli · Standard trailer · Chadori
The standard European semi-trailer: a 13.6 m loading area covered by a tarpaulin. It can be loaded from the rear, the sides, or the top.
Names in other languages
- English
- Tilt trailer / Curtainsider
- Türkçe
- Tenteli dorse
- فارسی
- تریلی چادری
- Русский
- Тентованный полуприцеп (шторный)
- 简体中文
- 篷布半挂车（侧帘半挂车）
- العربية
- مقطورة مغطاة بالشادر (ستارة جانبية)
Specifications
Typical figures — they vary by manufacturer and by country rules on weights and sizes.
| Internal length | 13,600 mm |
|---|---|
| Internal width | 2,480 mm |
| Internal height | 2,700 mm |
| Max payload | 24,000 kg |
| Capacity | 91 m³ |
| Euro pallets (1200 × 800 mm) | 33 |
| Loading method | Rear · Side · Top |
Typical cargo
Palletised general cargo: textiles, food and drinks, packaged goods, building materials, machine parts, and groupage loads.
In plain words
A tilt trailer has a frame of removable posts and roof bars covered with a tarpaulin. A curtainsider has curtains on the sides that slide open. Both let a forklift load from the side, and on a tilt the roof can also be opened for crane loading. This makes them the most common trailers for full truck loads (FTL) and groupage in Europe, Turkey, and the Middle East.
For international transit under customs control, the trailer often needs to be TIR-approved: the tarpaulin is fixed with a single customs cord that can be sealed. A standard trailer takes 33 Euro pallets in one layer. The payload is usually around 24 tonnes, because the whole truck may weigh about 40 tonnes in much of Europe — check the rules for every country on your route.
Advantages
- Fast loading from the side or the top, not only from the rear.
- Available almost everywhere, so prices are competitive.
- Can be TIR-approved for transit under customs seal.
Limits
- The tarpaulin gives less protection against theft and damage than a solid box.
- Payload is limited by the total weight rules of each country.
- Not temperature-controlled.
Example from real shipping
A Turkish textile exporter ships 33 pallets of clothing to Germany. A TIR-approved tilt trailer is loaded from the side by forklift in under an hour, sealed by customs in Istanbul, and travels under a TIR Carnet to the buyer's warehouse.
Related terms
- Mega trailerA mega trailer is a tilt or curtainsider trailer with a low deck and small wheels, so it has about 3 m of inside height and about 100 m³ of space.
- CMRA CMR is the standard transport document for international road freight. It shows that the carrier received the goods, and it travels with the truck.
- TIR CarnetA TIR Carnet is an international customs document that lets a sealed truck carry goods across several countries with customs checks mainly at the start and the end of the journey.
- Road vehicle typesA side-by-side comparison of the trucks and trailers used in road freight: load space, payload, volume, pallet places, loading method, and typical cargo.
Have a shipment in mind?
Tell us about your cargo, and we will explain the documents and costs for your route.
Request a QuoteThis glossary is general information, not legal or customs advice. Rules, fees, and practice can differ by carrier, port, and country.