One of the biggest difficulties for warehouse or shipping yard owners is moving cargo around rapidly and effortlessly. The majority of businesses still depend on orthodox road trucks for this task, but a better possibility exists.

Terminal tractors also called spotter trucks, yard trucks, and shunt trucks can rapidly and effortlessly pass cargo trailers and containers around a storage ability.

The global terminal tractor market size stands at USD 965.5 million (estimated) in 2023, and it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.5% during 2024–2030, to reach USD 1,401.1 million by 2030.

Terminal Tractors Transport Cargo More Efficiently in A Shorter Period

Not like an old-style road truck, terminal tractors are made precisely for moving loads throughout the yard or terminal and add features that replicate this design intent.

Yard trucks typically feature a sliding rear door and a catwalk that provides access to where the trailer connects to the truck. This setup eliminates the need for the operator to exit the vehicle, walk around to the back to hook up the trailer and airlines, and then get back in. Instead, they can simply step onto the platform, complete the connections, and then return to the cabin.

Small design enhancements can significantly affect the workday. For instance, while an experienced road truck driver typically takes around three minutes to attach or detach a trailer, a terminal tractor driver can accomplish the same task in less than a minute. These time savings translate into increased efficiency, with minutes saved accumulating to hours and ultimately days saved, resulting in a more expedient workforce.

Terminal Tractors are More Manoeuvrable

Even the utmost organized shipping facility or terminal can be an overcrowded, muddled workspace. In short, they are all commercial truck drivers who don’t want to hear. A terminal tractor, however, is made for such an atmosphere.

With a solid-mounted rear axle and a shorter wheelbase, terminal tractors boast tighter turning radiuses than road trucks, letting them move through more complex spots and navigate the cramped confines of a terminal.

Ease of Operation

OSHA and ANSI regulate power industrial trucks to be within which terminal tractors are classified. That's why a commercial driver's license (CDL) isn't a must if a person wants to drive it. This way, the process of training new employees to operate terminal tractors is made more efficient, which helps to maintain the continuity of business operations even during the peak of hiring.

One of the most important benefits of terminal tractors from the designer´s point is the increased safety of drivers and passengers, as well as driving comfort. Their operations efficacy is, therefore, helpful because passengers don't have to get in and out of cabs most often when exchanging squads thus less fire for drivers and avoid slipping and falling.

Furthermore, the input of a hydraulic fifth wheel diminishes the need to manually crank landing dollies which prevents the kind of repetitive injury that can cause stress.

Source: P&S Intelligence