Curtainsiders in a distribution city
By the 1990s Leicester's central position and transport links had turned it into a distribution centre, and that is plain to see on every road out of the city. Curtainside trailers and rigids are the workhorses of that trade: quick to load from the side, flexible about what they carry, and forever in and out of loading bays. They carry food, clothing, engineering parts and retail stock, which means they get knocked, scraped and strained every working day.
Damage to a curtain or body is easy to write off as cosmetic. It usually isn't. A curtain with a tear in it can't hold a load in place, a buckle that won't fasten leaves a strap useless, and a cracked bracket or damaged frame member can turn up as a defect at a safety inspection or fail the vehicle at its annual test.
How the damage happens
Most of what we repair on Leicester trailers comes from ordinary days. Forklift tines catch the curtain at a busy dock. A load shifts on a roundabout and leans on the side. Straps and buckles wear through after thousands of fastenings. A small split, left alone, catches the wind on the M1 and opens into something much bigger by the end of the week. Low-speed knocks in tight yards bend gates, doors and panels.
What we repair and how
We repair and replace curtains, straps, buckles and the rails and fittings that hold them, along with body panels, gates and doors. Welding repairs cover bodies, frames, brackets and fittings on trailers, rigids and light commercial bodies. For each job you get a straight answer on whether a repair will last or a replacement makes more sense, so you don't pay for a new curtain the old one didn't need, or for a patch that gives way a month later.
Larger repairs and anything involving welding are done at our workshop at Melbourne, close to junction 23a of the M1, which is open for booked work Monday to Friday, 07:30 to 17:00. Some smaller repairs can be carried out on site where it is practical.
Load security and the law
DVSA publishes guidance on securing loads, and both the operator and the driver are answerable if a load isn't secure. A damaged curtain or a broken buckle can make that guidance impossible to follow, and a roadside check that finds faulty load security can stop the vehicle from going any further. Keeping curtains and fittings sound is part of staying legal, not just looking tidy.
Booking a repair
Ring 01332 916028 with the vehicle or trailer, a description of the damage and, ideally, a photo. If the trailer is due for a service or inspection, we can do the bodywork in the same visit so it only comes off the road once.
