Tautliner Truck Hire — Curtain-Side Trucks for Palletised Freight
A tautliner is a curtain-sided truck — the sides pull back like a curtain, giving you full access to load and unload from either side or the rear. It's the most versatile enclosed truck for palletised freight, offering weather protection with the convenience of side-loading. Available from 4-tonne rigids up to B-doubles.
When You Need a Tautliner
A tautliner is the right choice when you're shipping palletised goods that need weather protection, you need to load or unload from the side (not just the rear), the freight is going to multiple drop-off points and you need easy access to specific pallets, you're moving standard commercial freight like retail stock, building supplies, or packaged goods, or you need an enclosed truck but your freight is too awkward to push through a rear door.
If your freight is oversized or needs crane loading from above, a flat-top is the better option.
Vehicle Sizes and Configurations
4-tonne to 12-tonne rigids — for metro deliveries and smaller loads.
Semi-trailers — available in three configurations:
Straight deck — standard flat floor, suits most palletised freight.
Drop deck — lower deck height for taller freight that won't fit under a standard trailer.
Mezzanine — double-level loading for lighter, stackable freight, maximising cubic capacity.
B-doubles — same three configurations available, up to 54 pallets for maximum volume.
What You Can Ship
Palletised goods, cartons, retail stock, building supplies, packaged food and beverage, e-commerce orders, manufacturing parts, agricultural products — anything that's palletised or packaged and needs to travel protected from the weather.
Express or General Freight
Tautliners are available on both our services:
Express — booked time slot, priority handling, fastest route. Best for full loads or time-sensitive deliveries.
General — cost-effective option through our shared freight network. Most general freight moves on tautliners through the linehaul system.
Coverage
Tautliners are available Australia-wide — across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane metro areas, between east coast locations, and to destinations right across the country.
Not sure if we cover your route? Get a quote — if we can do it, you'll get a price instantly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a tautliner? A curtain-sided truck that allows loading and unloading from the side or rear, with weather protection.
What configurations are available? Straight deck, drop deck, and mezzanine for both semi-trailers and B-doubles.
When do I need a tautliner instead of a pantech? When you need side access for loading, or you have multiple drops and need to access specific pallets.
What's a mezzanine trailer? A double-level loading configuration for lighter, stackable freight to maximise cubic capacity.
Get an instant quote — select tautliner as your vehicle type and we'll price it in seconds.
