Metal trailer floors, most common in refrigerated trailers, require a different installation approach than wood floors. A device built for wood floor grip will not perform the same way on a metal or hat channel floor. This article covers what to use, and why floor type changes the device, not the outcome.
Why Metal Floors Need a Different Device
Wood floor trailers allow a device to grip the floor directly through light surface engagement. Metal floors do not offer that same surface, and a device engineered for wood will not seat correctly or hold reliably on metal or hat channel flooring.
KICK STOPS addresses this with two distinct device configurations rather than one device forced to work on both surfaces. The metal floor device is designed to lock directly into the hat channel structure common in refrigerated and metal-floor trailers, rather than relying on surface grip.
How the Metal Floor Device Works
The metal floor KICK STOPS device locks into the hat channel of the trailer floor. Once positioned against the pallet and engaged, the bottom latch seats into the channel itself, which anchors the device to the trailer structure rather than the floor surface. This is what allows it to hold pallets in place on refrigerated and other metal-floor trailers without relying on the light-grip method used on wood.
Installation follows the same no-tools process as the wood floor device: position the device against the pallet base, engage it, and it locks into place. Removal is equally simple, lifting the pallet with a forklift or pallet jack releases the device from the channel.
Key Takeaways
Metal and hat channel trailer floors, common in refrigerated trailers, require a different device engineering approach than wood floors.
KICK STOPS offers a dedicated metal floor device that locks into the hat channel structure rather than relying on wood-floor style surface grip.
Installation and removal remain tool-free on metal floors, matching the same simplicity as the wood floor device.
Using the correct device for the correct floor type is what determines reliable performance, using a wood floor device on a metal floor trailer will not hold the same way.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I use if my trailer has a metal floor?
KICK STOPS offers a dedicated metal floor device engineered to lock into the hat channel structure found in metal and refrigerated trailer floors. It installs without tools and anchors to the trailer’s structure rather than relying on surface-level grip.
Does the metal floor device work the same as the wood floor device?
Both devices achieve the same result, pallets anchored to the trailer floor, but they use different mechanisms. The wood floor device grips the floor surface directly. The metal floor device locks into the hat channel structure specific to metal and reefer trailer floors.
Can I use the wood floor device on a metal trailer floor?
No. Each device is engineered for its specific floor type. Using the wood floor device on a metal floor will not provide reliable securement, since it depends on a grip method that metal floors do not support the same way.
Is the metal floor device more difficult to install?
No. Installation is the same no-tools process as the wood floor device, position the device against the pallet, engage it, and it locks into place.
Not sure which device fits your trailer fleet? We’ll help you identify the right configuration for your specific freight and equipment. Request a demo.
KICK STOPS: The most cost-effective, time-saving, and sustainable freight securement system in the industry.