
Large Straight Trucks
With around half the capacity of a semi-trailer, and double that of a box truck, a large straight truck provides substantial cargo-hauling capability while retaining good maneuverability. Use the following information to determine if this size of vehicle will meet your need for rapid movement of high-value freight.
What are Straight Trucks?
A straight truck has a large rectangular, solid-sided body mounted behind the driver’s cab on a rigid frame. Straight trucks are manufactured by a number of companies, including Freightliner, Peterbuilt, and Kenworth, and come with a wide range of engine options. They are produced in two and three axle configurations, with the third axle increasing load-carrying capacity.
Rear doors are typically of the roller shutter style, although some straight trucks have swing-out solid doors. Side doors are uncommon. These trucks are a popular choice for industries requiring efficient, secure, and flexible transportation solutions, balancing the capacity of larger vehicles with the maneuverability of smaller ones.
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Whether it’s a single parcel or a truckload of pallets, our dedicated team of full truckload experts will help you select the best solution, ensuring your delivery gets where it needs to be on time and at an affordable price.

Large Straight Truck Advantages
Large straight trucks offer significant advantages for expedited freight, especially when transporting medium to large-sized loads. Their spacious cargo areas can accommodate heavier and bulkier shipments, making them ideal for industries requiring rapid delivery of substantial goods. Additionally, large straight trucks often have the flexibility to access areas that might be challenging for full-sized tractor-trailers, making them a good choice for both urban and suburban deliveries. Their ability to operate over long distances further enhances their value in expedited logistics.
Capabilities
A large straight truck is built on a rigid frame, with a solid-sided, rectangular cargo area positioned directly behind the driver’s cab. Designed for efficiency and versatility, these trucks typically come in two-axle and three-axle models, with the third axle allowing for greater payloads. Offering about twice the capacity of a box truck but only half that of a semi-trailer, they strike an ideal balance between cargo volume and maneuverability. This makes large straight trucks well-suited for hauling substantial loads while maintaining the ability to navigate tighter spaces.
Long Distance Service
In long-distance service, a straight truck is often faster than a semi. Being smaller and lighter, they can take more direct routes that use and pass under bridges with weight limits and height restrictions. They also have better maneuverability and gas mileage than semi-trucks, while being substantially larger than box trucks and Sprinter vans. For businesses requiring a balance between capacity, speed, and flexibility, large straight trucks are an ideal choice for long-distance and expedited freight needs.
Versatility
Loading
Large straight trucks are engineered with a floor height that aligns with standard loading docks, facilitating easy manual loading and unloading or use of a pallet truck. However, they are not designed for fork truck loading. Most fork trucks are too tall to fit inside the cargo area, and their weight can exceed the floor’s capacity. Additionally, there is a risk of lifting the front of the truck as the fork truck enters, especially considering that the rear of the truck extends beyond its rear axle. Therefore, it’s important to use proper loading equipment that matches the truck’s design and weight limits.
Safety
Large straight trucks offer notable safety advantages when shipping expedited freight, ensuring both the protection of goods and the well-being of drivers. Their rigid frame design provides greater stability compared to articulated vehicles, reducing the risk of tipping or jackknifing during sudden maneuvers. Equipped with advanced safety features such as anti-lock braking systems (ABS), stability control, and collision mitigation technology, these trucks enhance driver control and minimize accident risks. The enclosed, solid-sided cargo area shields freight from external elements and potential damage.
Advanced Tracking Technology
The straight trucks we use are equipped with advanced tracking technology. This lets us monitor their progress and provide the drivers with rerouting instructions to address problems like bad weather or road congestion. It also enables the regular updates that give customers the assurance their delivery will arrive when promised. This combination of advanced technology, safety, and versatility makes our straight truck service a reliable solution for meeting tight deadlines and delivering exceptional customer satisfaction.
Why Work with FullTruckload.com?
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From booking to delivery, you’ll have a dedicated expediter guiding you through every step of the logistics process. Experience seamless, personalized support from start to finish.
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With real-time updates and complete visibility, you can stay ahead of any potential delays and make informed decisions to keep your operations running smoothly.
Multiple Options
We proactively analyze ground and air traffic, anticipate weather challenges, and account for potential flight delays to keep your shipment on track. Our goal is to overcome any obstacles and ensure your deadline is always met.
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Types of Vehicles
STRAIGHT TRUCK
Measuring 22-26’ x 96” x 96”, our straight trucks can carry loads up to 9,000 pounds. Our large straight truck services offer focused logistics, professional drivers, and deeply-experienced expeditors to get your delivery where it needs to go.

SPRINTER VAN
FullTruckload.com's expedited Sprinter vans have the capacity to meet your local, regional, or long-distance ground shipping needs. Measuring 8-12’ x 52” x 70", our carefully-selected vans have the capacity to carry loads up to 3,000 lbs.

BOX TRUCK
We pride ourselves in working with trusted partners that offer carefully-vetted box trucks, from temperature-controlled vehicles to varying sizes that accommodate smaller loads. Our box trucks, or small straight trucks, measure 12-16’ x 94” x 70” and have the capacity to carry up to 5,000 pounds.

HOT SHOT TRUCK
We'll happily arrange for your freight to be transported via hot shot trucking services. We've proudly partnered with hot shot trucking providers across North America to give you access to carefully-vetted ground delivery vehicles for your time-critical freight.

53' DRY VAN
Our fleet of 53-Ft dry vans can carry loads up to 42,000 pounds. Measuring 53’ x 99” x 102”, these carefully-vetted vehicles will ensure your time-sensitive freight arrives at its destination safely.

FULL FLATBED
FullTruckload.com's full flat bed vehicles can accommodate wide or mega-size loads, such as specialized equipment machinery of all weights and sizes. Measuring 48-53’ x 102” x 102”, our fleet of full flat bed vehicles can carry freight of up to 48,000 pounds.

Large Straight Truck Key Specifications
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Maximum payload: Up to 26,000 pounds without a CDL driver, and with a CDL, up to 54,000 pounds.(These vehicles are classified as Class 6 to 8 trucks, depending on their GVWR.)
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Maximum cargo dimensions: Width: 96”, height: 96”, length: 22 to 26’. Generally sufficient for two rows of 6 standard pallets.
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Floor is at loading dock level: Some straight trucks have a ramp or liftgate. Note that most straight truck floors will NOT accommodate a fork truck (and fork trucks are generally too tall to enter a truck anyway).
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Range: Depends on engine, fuel, and fuel tank capacity, but can be up to 1,200 miles between refueling stops.

Large Straight Truck Types of Cargo
Pallets aren’t the only type of freight these trucks can carry. With tie-downs and cargo nets to keep items secure, they’re incredibly versatile cargo-carriers. Loads can include manufacturing and test equipment, specialist tools, laboratory equipment, display stands and presentation systems, and even the gear sports teams need when they’re on the road. Whether it’s in cartons, hard-sided plastic cases, wheeled bins, or dedicated cradles, if it fits, a straight truck can carry it.
Straight trucks are available with refrigeration for perishable goods. Freezer units can also be obtained if needed.
While the floor is at dock height, straight trucks can be loaded via a ramp. Some straight trucks are equipped with a liftgate for easy loading.

Range and Routes
Diesel-engined straight trucks, which most are, typically average 8 to 12 mpg and carry tanks of up to 150 gallon capacity. Depending on the type of driving they’re being used for, (highway, urban, rural roads), they can go up to 1,200 miles before refueling.
Many straight trucks are used for “last mile” deliveries, where freight is offloaded from a semi-trailer for local delivery in a congested urban or metropolitan area. However, they are just as well-suited to long-distance transportation, meaning inter-state, coast-to-coast, and even international. When using a straight truck with a sleeper cab, a driver team can cross the country in remarkable speed.
Another useful feature of the straight truck is that a lower GVWR, and a lower overall height than a semi-trailer, means they can often take more direct routes, crossing weight-limited bridges and going under low bridges.

Large Straight Truck Cargo Capacity
The inside of a straight truck is 96” wide and 96” high, which makes it just big enough to take two rows of pallets. The shortest trucks, which provide 22’ of cargo capacity, will take a line of five pallets, (for a total of 10), while the longest (26’) will take 12 pallets.
Two important considerations are payload and loading method. Payload is complicated by the 26,000 pound Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) cutoff from non-CDL to CDL (Commercial Driver’s License). A non-CDL straight truck is therefore restricted to a maximum total weight of 26,000 pounds, but with a CDL operator, can go to 54,000 pounds.
HOWEVER, they are not intended for loading by fork truck. Most fork trucks are too tall to enter a straight truck, and will be too heavy for the floor.
There’s also a risk of lifting the front of the truck as the fork truck enters. (Remember that the rear extends out beyond the rear axle.)
Ready Solutions for Shipping Issues, Large and Small
FullTruckload.com has a wealth of resources and expertise ready to go, so we solve your shipping problems as soon as we learn about them. No matter the issue, we know what to do.
End to End Emergency Solutions with the Large Straight Truck Service
When people and businesses are in a bind, unable to get essential equipment where it needs to be, when it needs to be there, our large straight truck service is often the answer.
For a fascinating example, consider what happened with the NBA during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. Social distancing protocols, introduced to slow the spread of the disease, meant the only way the 2020 season could proceed was by creating a “bubble” where teams were quarantined.

The NBA decided to operate this “bubble” from ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. They did an amazing job of pulling this together in just days, but it left teams like the Brooklyn Nets with the problem of getting everything they needed – training gear, uniforms, player’s personal possessions, and more – from New York to The Sunshine State.
Our solution was to give the Nets exclusive use of a 26’ straight truck. The vehicle arrived in Brooklyn for loading on June 19th, and was in Florida just a few days later, ensuring the Nets’ players, coaches, and assistants had everything they needed. Since then, the Nets have continued to rely on us to get their belongings where they need to go safely and on time.

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WHAT IS FULL TRUCKLOAD?
Full Truckload (FTL) refers to a freight shipping method where an entire truck’s cargo space is utilized for a single shipment. It is particularly suitable for large, heavy, or time-sensitive shipments and is often more cost-effective for high-volume freight.
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