Which Truck Types Are Used in International Transport?

Berlin, 24 June 2026 

Which truck types are used in international transport?

A question I hear more often than you would think: "Can you just send me a truck?" Of course I can. But which one? Because "truck" is about as precise as "car". There are dozens of types, and the wrong one costs time, money and sometimes the whole job.

Today I will explain the main vehicle types in international road transport and when each of them is needed. With examples from everyday practice, not from a textbook.

The curtainsider semi-trailer: Europe's workhorse

When I think of a classic long-distance truck, this is it. The articulated lorry with a curtainsider body, also called a tautliner or sliding-curtain trailer, is the most widely used vehicle in European road freight. The side curtains open completely, which allows loading from the side by forklift, from the rear by pallet truck and from above by crane.

It offers 13.6 loading metres, space for up to 33 Euro pallets in a single layer and a payload of around 24 tonnes. The internal loading height is approximately 2.60 metres. For most standard goods in international transport it is the first choice.

The box trailer: secure, but inflexible

The box trailer looks like a closed container. Loading is only possible from the rear. That is its greatest disadvantage compared with the tautliner, but at the same time its advantage: the goods are fully protected – from the weather, from prying eyes, from theft. For high-value or sensitive goods that must not get wet, the box trailer is the right choice.

The refrigerated trailer: when temperature is decisive

Food, pharmaceuticals, flowers, certain chemicals. All of these need a controlled temperature throughout the transport. The refrigerated trailer, also called a reefer, has an integrated cooling unit and insulated walls. The temperature can be set to a constant value and is monitored and documented during the journey by a temperature recorder.

Important to know: a refrigerated vehicle can only be loaded from the rear. This has to be taken into account when planning the loading point.

The mega trailer: when height is the problem

The internal loading height of a standard articulated lorry is around 2.60 metres. That is enough for most goods. But what if the load is 2.80 or 2.90 metres high? That is where the mega trailer comes in. It has an internal height of up to 3.00 metres, because the trailer floor sits lower and the roof is higher. Ideal for high-volume goods such as machinery, vehicle parts or bulky industrial products.

The limitation: because of the greater overall height, some routes with bridges or tunnels become critical. The route must be checked in advance.

Trucks with a tail lift: when there is no ramp

Here is a point I have to raise again and again in daily practice. Not every customer is aware that there must be some means at the loading or unloading point of getting the goods from the truck to the ground. Anyone without a ramp, a forklift or a crane needs a vehicle with a tail lift.

The tail lift is a hydraulic platform at the rear of the vehicle that lowers the goods to ground level. I actively ask about this with every enquiry, because otherwise problems arise on site that nobody can solve any more: the driver is there, the goods are on the truck and nobody can get them off.

The 40-tonner and the 3.5-tonner: a difference that counts

An example from our everyday work. A customer wanted to send a delivery to an Amazon logistics centre and asked us for a smaller truck. What they did not know: Amazon only unloads 40-tonne vehicles at its sites. The ramps are designed for that vehicle height. A 3.5-tonner or a smaller van simply does not fit the ramp.

After the consultation we provided a 40-tonner for loading at the customer's site instead of the smaller vehicle. The delivery arrived smoothly and was unloaded without any problems. That sounds obvious. But it only is if you clarify it beforehand.

Rigid trucks: 7.5 and 12 tonnes for smaller shipments

Not every load fills an articulated lorry. For smaller shipments there are rigid trucks in various sizes. The 7.5-tonner is suitable for loads of up to around 4.5 loading metres, the 12-tonner for up to 7.5 loading metres. Both are more manoeuvrable than an articulated lorry and can also reach tighter industrial estates or inner-city areas.

Important: in many countries a different driving ban regime applies to rigid trucks than to articulated lorries. That matters particularly in international traffic.

Low loaders and flatbed trailers: for the exceptional

When machinery, construction cranes, transformers or other construction equipment have to be moved, a standard vehicle is no longer enough. Low loaders have a particularly low loading deck, which makes it possible to transport very tall or very heavy goods without exceeding the permitted overall heights. Flatbed trailers have no body at all, just an open loading deck.

Both vehicle types generally fall within the scope of special transport and require the corresponding permits, as I described in my previous blog article on critical dimensions in road transport.

What I would like you to take away

The right vehicle depends not only on the size of the load. It depends on the type of goods, the loading situation at the consignor, the requirements of the consignee and sometimes on the route as well. A conversation up front almost always saves stress and costs later on.

Not sure which vehicle you need? Give us a call. We will sort it out together, before the vehicle is scheduled.

FAQ on truck types in international transport