We often talk about long-haul transport options, or specific site-based solutions. But we recognise that there’s another key environment in which your fleet may operate: the urban environment.
Transporting goods around busy cities and built-up areas can be challenging, and it’s important to select the most suitable trucks and trailers to ensure your cargo gets where it needs to, safely and efficiently.
The difficulties of transporting materials in urban areas
When it comes to transport, urban transport has its own unique demands that you don’t necessarily face in long-haul transport.
Traffic congestion
From peak hour, to school drop-off time, to major arterial roads, urban areas often experience heavy traffic congestion. So it’s important to choose a vehicle that can navigate through congested streets safely and efficiently.
Poor quality infrastructure
Ageing infrastructure, narrow roads, and bridges with weight restrictions can limit the types of vehicles that can be used for material transport. Solutions need to be versatile enough to navigate these challenges while complying with infrastructure limitations, while still being robust enough to carry the necessary load.
Limited parking
Getting materials that last mile to their destination, or delivering them at all (where on-site delivery isn’t available) can be a challenge in urban areas, where parking and set-down zones are at a premium.
Pedestrians and cyclists
When your vehicles are crossing the country they generally don’t have to worry about pedestrians or cyclists. But in urban areas they’re a big hazard, and drivers need to be vigilant. Finely-tuned braking systems and well-maintained vehicles make it easier, and safer, for transport drivers in urban areas.
Noise and emissions
Whether it’s engine noise, braking noise, or general emission levels, transporting materials in urban areas means that you have to abide by local air and noise pollution guidelines.
How to choose the right trucks for urban transport
Choosing the right truck for urban transport isn’t just a matter of selecting a taughtliner and being done with it. To enable faster, more effective, and more efficient transport, it’s crucial to assess your transport needs against urban conditions.
Your trucks and trailers need to:
- Suit the prevailing road conditions. Are you facing wide or narrow roads? Will they face heavy traffic flow during peak times?
- Adapt to different environments. Yes, you’re focusing on city driving, but it’s likely that a big part of their journey will be between cities, too. So your trucks need to be suitable for both.
- Manoeuvre in dynamic environments. They need power and speed, but also improved braking systems—and be the right size to fit under bridges.
- Be fuel efficient. The urban environment creates stop-start conditions, which burns through more fuel than long drives, so your trucks need to have fuel-efficient engines that meet this challenge.
- Have a robust chassis. Your urban transport vehicle will likely be carrying things like construction equipment, sea containers, palettes, oversized equipment, and more, so they still need to have the strength and load-bearing capacity of long-haul trucks.
- Improve access to your load. Space can be limited in urban environments, so ease of access to your cargo is critical. Features such as low bed heights, side-loading capabilities, and accessible entry points all support more efficient cargo handling.
And flatbed trailers are the perfect solution to achieve all of these points. Robust, yet agile, and designed to manage tight urban roads while delivering seamless loading and unloading, they’re the ideal piece of equipment to integrate into your fleet.
Discover flatbed trailer rental solutions designed for urban environments
At Rentco, we have a range of flatbed trailers and trucks that you can rely on to streamline your urban operations. Our goal is to help you improve the efficiency and safety of your loads, while navigating the changing urban environment with ease.
From flatbed trailer rentals, to a range of trucks, trailers, dollies, and more, we can deliver flexible equipment hire options that maximise your efficiency in busy urban areas, ensures your cargo moves smoothly and efficiently, and that your customers receive their goods on time.
By choosing a flatbed trailer hire option, this means that you can utilise the asset only for the time you need it, whether it’s a short-term project or a long-term operation. You don’t need to invest in one single asset, either, you can hire as many as your operation calls for. It’s a more cost-effective solution, particularly for short-term transport demands.
And by partnering with Rentco, your maintenance and upkeep are taken care of, too. We manage the maintenance for you, with comprehensive preventative maintenance programs undertaken at our purpose-built facilities that ensure our vehicles and equipment remain in peak condition—and 24/7 support to ensure your new assets stay on the road.
Get tailored equipment hire solutions for every environment
Choosing the right trucks and equipment for your environment is crucial in ensuring safe, efficient transport. And when it comes to navigating urban environments, flatbed trailers should be a key part of your fleet.
Rentco offers tailored flatbed trailer hire solutions and support to support your operations, wherever they are. Get in touch with us to browse our range, and see how we can help you incorporate specialised equipment rental solutions into your urban business.
