Dunnage Racks & Wood Holders: The Low-Down

“Which Dunnage Racks / Wood Holders do I need for my trailer?“

Most truckers are familiar with Dunnage Racks. Some call them wood holders, some call them by other names, too. No matter what you call them, their purpose remains the same: Dunnage Racks provide storage for the wood (or dunnage) that you need for semi truck trailers to use for load control during transportation. These racks most often are found on flatbed, drop-deck, and gooseneck trailers.

We build our dunnage racks from strong, lightweight aluminum, making our products some of the lightest and toughest on the market. We offer multiple configurations of dunnage racks for semi trucks (including a special design specifically for Reinouer trailers), and while we do our best to communicate the features and uses of each, some have a hard time deciding which rack they need for their trailer.

Our hope is that this guide will assist in your search to ensure you are picking the proper dunnage rack or wood holder for your trailer.

We’ll break down each type below, and do our best to explain  the intended applications for each.

Standard Wood/Dunnage Holders

The standard wood holder is part number 1700 and is ideal for most flatbed semi truck trailers. We also have a similar part number 1701, which has a slightly different design for Reitnouer flatbed trailers.

Dunnage is inserted into the enclosed end of the dunnage racks, and then fed through the corner opening in the opposite end. This helps the wood stay in place during transportation.

Each of these standard wood holders are made from 1/4″ (.250) thick aluminum for maximum strength and minimal weight. They are sold in two pieces and can be mounted to the trailer frame at any desired width.

Trays for Standard Wood Holders

These are an optional accessory for the aforementioned standard dunnage racks, and they span the width between one end of the dunnage holder to the other. These trays are not required if your dunnage is all the same length and your standard racks are mounted at the desired width to accomodate them.

Instead, these trays come in handy when you have multiple lengths of wood, and/or when you want to have some additional protection for your wood during transportation.

Trays are built from 1/8″ (.125″) aluminum to save weight, and are available for both the standard version (1702) and the Reitnouer version (1703).

Drop Deck Dunnage Racks

Designed specifically for drop-deck trailers, these dunnage racks (part number 1704) are a popular choice among truckers. They are designed specifically to fit in the confines of a drop deck trailer.

Each of these drop deck wood holders are also built from 1/4″ (.250″) aluminum for maximum strength and minimal weight. They are sold in two pieces and can be mounted to the trailer at the width you require to store your dunnage safely and securely.

Box Dunnage Racks

Bar far our largest dunnage rack offering, our box dunnage racks (part number 1705) are large aluminum “boxes” designed to hold any size of wood that you need to carry.

These are made for flatbed trailers and mount behind the dolly legs of the trailer, perpendicular to the trailer’s direction of travel. In addition to being open at the top, there are padlockable doors on each end, thereby increasing the accessibility and security of the dunnage rack.

The box dunnage rack/wood holder is built from 1/8″ (.125″) thick aluminum, which is the same strong, lightweight aluminum we use on most of our storage products. It’s strong, lightweight, and designed to last a long time.

Conclusion & Disclaimer

We hope that this quick guide will help you to better understand each dunnage rack and their intended designs and uses. If you require any further assistance, feel free to contact us VIA the orange “Get A Quote” button on the dunnage rack product page.

It’s important for us to note that we provide these as a storage tool for truckers to use to store their dunnage/wood more safely. However, it is your responsibility to make sure that you are storing your wood within the applicable laws. Most provinces and states require wood to be strapped together and further affixed to your truck, so it’s important to keep that in mind when you’re shopping for your next dunnage rack.

For more information, please contact us.

Buy Online & Get More Information

• Visit the dunnage rack product page
• Contact us