Swing doors vs. Roll-up

Jackal45 · Jan 5, 2015

In expediting with a straight truck, are swing doors the way to go, or is a roll-up door a better choice?
I realize a couple of inches in height are lost with a roll-up door... but a roll-up is convenient when backing to a dock.
Any straight truck expeditors care to share their opinion?

Daffyduck528 · Jan 5, 2015

I have all barn doors, but I'm looking at building a reefer truck with a roll up door. I too would like more info on them. I have a few friends with them and I hear good things, but all reefer trucks. I'm not sure I would do it on a dry box truck.

Jackal45 · Jan 5, 2015

Why skeptical on a dry box, Daffy..? Are there other limits you know about with roll-up doors besides a little height space?

jjoerger · Jan 5, 2015

I wish I had a roll up. Getting out in the rain or snow to open or close the doors is a pain. With a roll up you can back on the dock and open or close the door from inside the dock area.

Jackal45 · Jan 5, 2015

Thanks for the quick feedback. I'll check back later to see if anybody else cares to chime in...

Daffyduck528 · Jan 5, 2015

Jackal45 said:
Why skeptical on a dry box, Daffy..? Are there other limits you know about with roll-up doors besides a little height space?

Just extra maintenance. Plus in my dry box I've carried some racks and computer server towers that wouldn't fit if my door opening was even 1 inch lower. In the reefer trucks this is less of an issue.

Moot · Jan 5, 2015

Swing doors vs. roll-ups? Its a personal choice, much like choosing a carrier to lease to. You must decide what works best for you and like most choices there is a trade off.

Roll-up doors as mentioned, offer convenience. Less hassle than swing doors when opening in inclement weather. Also safer when opening on city streets. The down side to roll-ups is more regular maintenance, easily damaged from fork trucks knocking the door panels off the track with the mast and dinging up the tracks. Also smaller door opening (width and height) and less secure than swing doors. When I started expediting with Con-Way Now they required swing doors for security reasons. I don't know if any other carriers still require swing doors but one should check before buying.

My best advice is keep researching and talk with other expediters at truck stops. Evaluate the data and make your decision. No matter what you decide I'm sure there will be times you will question your decision.

Jackal45 · Jan 5, 2015

Lol... Racks and server towers bring back memories. Yes indeed, every cubic inch counts. Thanks for shakin' loose some cobwebs, Daffy.

And I didn't consider the "security factor" of swing doors vs. a roll-up door until you mentioned it, Moot... but I suppose there are some carriers/shippers that might require swing doors on security-sensitive loads.
Again, thank you all for the information you share.

beachbum · Jan 5, 2015

Moot, I have to ask, since I might be a idiot on this issue, but why is a swinging door more secure then a roll up door?

cheri1122 · Jan 6, 2015

beachbum said:
Moot, I have to ask, since I might be a idiot on this issue, but why is a swinging door more secure then a roll up door?

During the time that it's open, if the door becomes unsecured, a swinging door could cause property damage, [itself and a truck parked beside it], but a roll up door could cause property damage to the freight, maybe the forklift going in/out, and injury to the person loading the truck, the driver, or both. Neither is good, but the injury scenario is much worse.

beachbum · Jan 6, 2015

Cheri, Like I said I'm not smart, because I cannot see how a roll up would cause freight damage or or how it could injure a forklift driver.

That said, Moot, was taking security between a rollup door and swinging doors, the way I see it they both can be broken into by either removing the lock or seal or both. You only have to remove the lock on the right side door on a swinging type door, unless you have a setup that hooks to the bars between the doors and most people don't have them too use anyway.

greasytshirt · Jan 6, 2015

A perspective from someone who fixes this stuff:

Roll-up doors- On older boxes where the upper clearance lamps have been replaced or spliced a few times and the wiring is loose or unsecured, the wires have an annoying tendency to get caught up in the roll up door mechanisms. Breaks in clearance lamp wiring can be really difficult to find. Yet half the time it's above the big spring roller thing (which is a pain in the rear to get around).
Replacing the cables looks like no fun. One of the few things I've never tried to do, as there's a guy in the shop that's good at it and pretty fast.
The boards will eventually start getting weathered and loosen up, then all sorts of hardware falls out. Roll up door maintenance can't be put off forever. One day, one side of the door will go up, and the other side won't, and it'll stay stuck like this until someone prys it apart with a tire iron.

On swing doors, they work well until a hinge cracks, or something unsecured crashes into it and damages where the hinges are mounted. Continuing to use the door like this quickly tweaks it so it'll rarely close correctly again, and all of the undamaged parts become damaged by supporting the extra weight the damaged hardware used to carry.

Jackal45 · Jan 7, 2015

I come from HHG/Special Products... I've always had swing doors on my trailer. The exception is when I've had to rent a straight truck to shuttle a load to it's destination... (when the tractor/trailer won't fit at the destination). Usually an Enterprise 24 foot, high-cube (13.6) with a roll-up door. They've worked out well.
I've been considering making a move into straight truck/expediting for a couple o years... and I've pondered over swing-doors/roll-up door... And I done settled on swing-doors (if I ever make the move). Thanks, Daffy... Thanks, Moot. Thee end.

cheri1122 · Jan 7, 2015

beachbum said:
Cheri, Like I said I'm not smart, because I cannot see how a roll up would cause freight damage or or how it could injure a forklift driver.

That said, Moot, was taking security between a rollup door and swinging doors, the way I see it they both can be broken into by either removing the lock or seal or both. You only have to remove the lock on the right side door on a swinging type door, unless you have a setup that hooks to the bars between the doors and most people don't have them too use anyway.

What I said was "if it becomes unsecured while open" - a rollup door would come down, possibly while someone was underneath.
I don't know how often that actually happens, but I know if it happened even once, some companies would immediately create a policy to prevent it happening again.
Maybe Moot meant it as you say: security against unauthorized entry - in that case, damifino, I can't see how it would be easier to get into, but I've never had one.

Daffyduck528 · Jan 7, 2015

My thoughts on rear doors for dry boxes are that I've seen a lot of old truck boxes that have swing doors and they open and shut ok and don't show their age from 20 feet away, but I've also seen a ton of roll up doors that from 100 feet away look like they are one good bump from breaking and falling out. I'm not sure if that's from lack of maintenance or that roll up doors are more prone to show their age.

I like swing/barn doors on trucks. I only want to try a roll up door on a reefer truck in order to see if I can reduce the temp loss of the box at loading.

OntarioVanMan · Jan 7, 2015

When that cable breaks on a roll up door don't have your arm or any body part under it....it will kill you or break bones..!! Also 1 broken roller and some of these anal union shops will NOT unload you for safety reasons...had it happen as well.....

struggle backing down an alley finally get to bump the dock and realize today you have barn doors!! LOL

schwanman · Jan 10, 2015

Have had both. For general freight I would chose swing doors. Besides the maintenance factor of roll up doors we found problems with width and height problems. For more freight you want max height and width. We ran into problems (opportunities) with loads being an inch or two wider or higher. Also shippers double stacking inside box on front racks and not able on back racks because of roll up door.