Patent ID: 8708626

Claim:
A freight carrier for the carriage of fluid freight and general dry freight, the freight carrier being of the side loading type and including: a vehicle chassis including a load deck having open sides on which the general dry freight can be supported; and a container arrangement which is mounted to the load deck of the vehicle chassis, the container arrangement providing for the carriage of fluid freight and general dry freight and including: a bulk container vessel for holding the fluid freight, the bulk container vessel having an operative front end and an operative rear end and being supported on the load deck; lifting means mounted to the freight carrier, for displacing the bulk container vessel between a lowered position wherein the bulk container vessel is disposed adjacent the load deck and a raised position wherein the bulk container vessel is spaced above the load deck so as to define a stowage compartment between the load deck and the bulk container vessel in which the general dry freight can be stowed and supported on the load deck, the lifting means comprising a first lifting arrangement located at the front end of the bulk container vessel and a second lifting arrangement located at the rear end of the bulk container vessel for lifting the bulk container vessel at its front and rear ends, respectively, the container arrangement including a rigid front panel which is mounted to the load deck in an upright orientation at the front end of the bulk container vessel and a rigid rear panel which is mounted to the load deck in an upright orientation at the rear end of the bulk container vessel, each panel being of a height which is at least equal to a height of the stowage compartment, thereby to substantially close off the front and rear ends of the stowage compartment.