Decide whether sideboards help the routine delivery
A dropside adds hinged or removable sections around the deck. A flatbed leaves the loading path open. Compare the benefit of those sections with the work needed to lower, remove, store and refit them at the sites the fleet visits.
This comparison concerns ordinary road cargo bodies. Recovery decks, low loaders, tipping bodies and crane installations introduce other load cases. Within the cargo scope, use representative packaged goods and long or irregular consignments to test both arrangements.
Compare handling and securing before assuming a payload advantage
Sideboards do not replace a cargo-specific restraint plan. Finished mass, axle loading and body limits govern both options. JC Payne’s application examples illustrate possible uses rather than exclusive roles for either body.
Scroll horizontally to view all columns.
| Decision | What to establish | Condition or limit |
|---|---|---|
| Cargo shape | Compare actual bundles and packages against the dropside opening and the proposed flatbed deck. | Oversized cargo needs its own route and securing assessment; an open deck is not permission to overhang. |
| Side access | Draw the sideboard movement or removal process and compare it with direct access to the flatbed. | A removable panel is useful only when the crew has a safe place and method to handle and store it. |
| Load containment | Ask what the sides and headboard are designed to do and identify the independent securing equipment. | DVSA's UK guidance warns against relying on drop sides alone; restraint capacity must be documented for the actual system. |
| Loading equipment | Check forklift or lifting access to the load supports, including deck-edge interference. | Being able to reach the cargo is not proof that the floor can carry the proposed point loads. |
| Body and payload | Compare as-built mass with the same chassis, crew, fuel and accessories, then check loaded axle distribution. | Material and construction choices can outweigh a simple dropside-versus-flatbed label. |
| Daily handling work | Include sideboard manipulation, covering, securing and inspections in the route comparison. | Do not compare only the time the forklift spends placing the load. |
| Maintenance exposure | Price dropside hinges, catches and posts alongside deck, anchor and headboard inspection needs for each proposal. | A flatbed removes some moving parts but still needs inspection of its load-supporting and securing structure. |
Show suppliers the loads that are difficult to handle
Provide dimensions, masses, photographs and the intended lifting or forklift path. Ask each supplier to show the loading and securing arrangement, including any side sections that must be removed during delivery.
Information to prepare for this review
- Cargo dimensions, mass, packaging, contact points and any irregular or projecting items
- Loading and unloading method, lifting attachments and access from the side, rear or above
- Delivery-site width, ground condition and space for lowered or removed sideboards
- Required deck length and width, headboard arrangement and restraint equipment
- Weather exposure, covering method and the handling of empty pallets or returns
- Chassis selection, completed mass assumptions, accessories and applicable route limits
Records to request and keep
- Cargo drawings or photographs with dimensions, mass and intended support locations
- Body proposal showing deck, sides, headboard, anchor positions and any removable parts
- Written floor and anchorage suitability for the declared load cases
- Comparable completed mass and loaded axle schedules
- Demonstration of the most awkward delivery including sideboard storage where relevant
- Operator-approved load-securing and covering plan for representative cargo
- Parts list and inspection instructions for deck, restraints and the supplied side hardware
Common mistakes and what to check instead
- Buying sideboards as a substitute for securing equipment: Specify the rated restraint system and use documented body capacity only where applicable.
- Assuming every flatbed can carry machinery: Check deck support, loading equipment, axle distribution and the machinery securing arrangement separately.
- Ignoring where removed panels go: Include handling and stowage in the delivery plan before selecting removable sides.
Scope of this guide
No body-type price, payload or durability ranking is assumed; compare the exact offered construction.
Special loads, lifting operations and oversize permits require separate planning beyond this general cargo comparison.
For a dropside inquiry, send your three most common cargo types and the most difficult unloading site so the proposal reflects everyday work.
Sources and applicability
Manufacturer examples of dropside bodies for general cargo, scaffolding and building-material delivery; individual body construction remains quotation-specific.
Does not establish: It applies to the named manufacturer example and does not establish a KEEYAK model rating or project result.
Manufacturer description of open loading access and configurable body materials. No payload advantage is transferred to a KEEYAK model.
Does not establish: It applies to the named manufacturer example and does not establish a KEEYAK model rating or project result.
UK guidance distinguishing open bodies, standard curtainsiders and rated structures. UK enforcement conditions are not universal export requirements; destination rules and exact body documentation control.
Does not establish: It is authority, jurisdiction or subject specific and does not approve the selected vehicle for another destination or project.