Transfer Carts vs Rack Shelves — Two Ways to Load a Chick Truck

Chick trucks come with one of two loading systems: transfer carts or rack shelves. Which one you want depends on how you operate.

Transfer carts are wheeled stainless steel racks that roll straight into the truck and out again at the destination. A hydraulic tail lift means one person can load or unload in minutes. The carts can be wheeled right into a hatchery or barn, which cuts down on handling.

Rack shelves are fixed two-tier structures inside the cargo box. They're simpler, lighter, and let you carry more payload because there's no cart weight. But everything gets loaded and unloaded tray by tray, which takes more time and labor.

Specifications

• Cart models: 7.6m (18 carts) and 9.6m (24 carts) constant temp
• Rack models: All ventilated models (4.2m to 9.6m)
• 7.6m cart capacity: 18 carts × 26 trays = 468 trays
• 9.6m cart capacity: 24 carts × 26 trays = 624 trays
• Tail lift: Standard on cart models
• Cart material: Stainless steel

Key Features

• Carts: one person can load a whole truck in minutes
• Carts: roll straight into the barn — less chick handling
• Carts: stainless steel, easy to hose down between loads
• Carts: no forklift needed thanks to the hydraulic tail lift
• Racks: simpler construction, lighter, more payload
• Racks: fixed in place, no shifting during transport
• Both systems let you adjust tray spacing for different chick sizes

Applications

Cart system: hatcheries, export, multi-stop routes, premium service. Rack system: fixed routes, budget-conscious operations, single-destination high-volume runs.