In short: Flatbed, skeleton or fence comes down to one question: does the cargo need a deck? A skeleton carries dead weight, mostly containers. A flatbed adds a deck for containers plus loose cargo. A fence body contains cargo that must not spill. Choose right and you avoid paying for deck you never use.
Three trailers that all start with a frame and a king pin, and end up in completely different jobs. The decision comes down to one question: does the cargo need a deck, or not? Get that right and the model follows; get it wrong and you either pay for deck you never use or lose work you could have carried.
The three options in one table
| Skeleton / container chassis | Container flatbed | Fence / side-wall trailer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | No full deck — 8 mm checkered plate on the skeleton we build | 3.0 mm steel platform plate | Side walls to contain the load |
| Best for | Containers only | Containers and loose cargo | Livestock, grain, bagged and bulk cargo |
| Twist locks | Fitted for the box sizes you nominate | Positioned for 20ft, 40ft and 45ft | Not a container trailer |
| Dead weight | Lowest — that is its whole purpose | Higher, because the deck is structure | Higher again, plus the wall set |
| Typical size | 12,500 x 2,550 x 1,500 mm | 12,500 x 2,550 x 1,600 mm | 13,000 mm, three axles |
| Axle options | 3 or 4 axles | 2, 3 or 4 axles | 3 axles |
Why the skeleton exists: dead weight is money
A container pays for the box, not for your deck. Every kilogram of trailer you do not need is a kilogram of container you cannot carry, so the skeleton is stripped to the frame.
On our 3-axle skeleton container semi trailer, the main beam is a heavy-duty Q345 high-tensile I-beam welded with automatic submerged arc processes — an 18 mm x 140 mm top flange, a 14 mm middle flange and a 20 mm x 140 mm bottom flange at 500 mm section height — with an 8 mm checkered deck. That flange set is what allows a light trailer to carry heavy containers. The 40ft skeletal container chassis goes further for single-box work: four twist locks, 45 t payload and marine-grade paint for long sea transit.
Why the flatbed earns its keep: deck plus twist locks
The container flatbed keeps the twist locks and adds a working deck, so one trailer covers a container box on Monday and steel, machinery or project cargo on Thursday. The trade is structural: the main beam runs 10 mm top and bottom plates with an 8 mm middle plate at 500 mm section height, and the platform plate is 3.0 mm. That is a lighter beam section than the skeleton’s, because the flatbed is not chasing minimum tare — it is chasing a trailer that can do two jobs.
Where the tonnage climbs, both choices change. Our 80 t heavy-duty flatbed container trailer moves to a reinforced T700 or Q345B main beam with genuine BPW or FUWA axles rated 13 t, 14 t, 16 t or 20 t, a JOST king pin and JOST landing gear — specification aimed at long-distance, rough-road duty cycles rather than at container shuttles.
When you need walls: the fence trailer
If the cargo will not stay on a deck, you need containment. A fence trailer carries removable or fixed side walls, which makes it the right answer for livestock, grain, bagged material and bulk loads that would spill off an open platform. Our 13 m 3-axle fence semi trailer is built in that layout. It is not a container trailer and it is not a tipper — it is the trailer you buy when the cargo needs a wall and you do not want to tip.
Choosing by cargo
| What you haul | Order |
|---|---|
| Containers only, maximum payload per trip | Skeleton / container chassis |
| Containers plus steel, pipes, machinery or project cargo | Container flatbed |
| Heavy-haul at 60–80 t on long, rough routes | Heavy-duty flatbed |
| Livestock, grain, bagged or bulk cargo needing walls | Fence trailer |
| Bulk material you tip out on site | Dump or side dump, not this group |
| Mixed fleet cutting across all of the above | Flatbed first, skeleton second |
Common specification across the range
Whichever of the three you choose, the running gear follows the same logic: a two-speed 28 t heavy-duty landing gear, a 2 in (50 mm) or 3.5 in (90 mm) king pin bolt-in or welded, WABCO RE6 relay valve with T30/30 spring brake chambers and 40 L air tanks, optional ABS, and a finish of shot blasting plus one anti-corrosive primer coat and two top coats. Twist locks, tool box, spare tyre carrier, crank and shaft head wrench ship as standard on the container models.
What to send us
Tell us the box sizes you move, the cargo mix across a normal month, your typical gross weight and your route. We will tell you whether a skeleton, a flatbed or a fence trailer is the honest answer — and where a mixed fleet needs two of the three. Start from the flatbed range, the skeletal range or the fence range, or send us your cargo mix.
FAQ
Can a skeleton trailer carry loose cargo?
No. With no platform deck, it is a container carrier. If you need both, order the container flatbed.
Does a flatbed take 20ft, 40ft and 45ft containers?
Yes. The twist locks on our container flatbed are positioned for 20ft, 40ft and 45ft boxes, so one trailer covers the mix you actually move.
How much extra dead weight does a flatbed add over a skeleton?
It varies with the deck specification, which is why the two trailers use different main beam sections: 10/8/10 mm plates on the flatbed against 18/14/20 mm flanges sized for light-tare container work on the skeleton.
Which one for livestock?
The fence trailer. Add containment and you keep the herd on the deck.
Can I order one unit to trial?
Yes. The minimum order is one set and trial orders are welcome.
Key facts
- Skeleton trailers carry dead weight, mainly containers, with no deck.
- Flatbeds take containers plus loose or palletised cargo on a deck.
- Fence bodies contain cargo that must not spill, like livestock or bulk.
- Twist lock positions decide which container lengths a trailer accepts.
