Flat bed, three-sided access
Dropside van leasing
A dropside is a flat bed with sides that drop for loading from any of three directions, and limited companies and LLPs lease one from FleetMe on business contract hire. It carries more than a tipper on the same chassis because there is no tipping gear. Sole traders hire over terms up to 12 months.
Get my dropside quote →Updated 14 October 2026 · your agreement is with FleetMe
A dropside is the least complicated commercial body there is, and that is the point of it. No tipping ram, no box, no tail gear, just a flat bed and three sides that fold down. It is lighter than a tipper on the same chassis, so it carries more, and a forklift or a grab can reach the load from whichever side the yard allows.
What you gain over a tipper, and what you give up
On the same chassis, a dropside carries more than a tipper, because the tipping body, ram and subframe are not there taking up payload. It also loads and unloads far more flexibly: a merchant's forklift can come at it from the side, which matters when the yard is tight and the vehicle cannot be reversed where you want it. What you give up is the one thing a tipper is for. Loose material has to come off by hand, by grab or by shovel, so if your week involves spoil and aggregate, the extra payload will not compensate for the labour. Boards, blocks, scaffold, timber, plant and anything palletised is where a dropside earns its money.
Load securing is the real legal exposure
An open bed puts the responsibility for restraint squarely on the operator. A load has to be secured so that it cannot move in normal driving, including an emergency stop, and DVSA can prohibit a vehicle at the roadside where a load is insecure, as well as pursuing the driver and the operator. In practice that means proper ratchet straps rather than rope, restraint rated for what is actually on the bed, corner protection so straps are not cut by sharp edges, and a habit of re-checking after the first few miles because loads settle. Long or overhanging loads have their own marking and notification requirements. The dropped sides are for loading, not for carrying: the load has to be restrained on its own terms, not held in by the panels.
Bodies, racks and fitting things to the vehicle
Dropsides take well to additions, a ladder rack or pipe carrier over the cab, a lockable toolbox behind it, mesh sides for lighter bulky loads. Each of those is weight against payload and each is an alteration to a vehicle that belongs to us, so specify what you want at quote stage and it forms part of the vehicle we supply and the price we confirm in writing. Adding something later is possible but has to be agreed with us in writing first, including what happens to it at hand-back, which is normally removal and making good. Deciding this at the start is cheaper and avoids an awkward conversation in year three.
Sourced to order, priced on application
A dropside van is not one of the vehicles we hold a standing rate for, so there is no guide price on this page and we will not invent one. We source it against your specification (body, length, tail lift, payload) and quote it individually. Tell us what the work needs and we will come back with a written figure.
The vehicles we do price as standard, with their monthly rentals, are on the stock list.
Not a limited company?
Business contract hire is for limited companies and LLPs. If you trade as a sole trader, or you want the vehicle in your own name, what we can supply is vehicle hire of up to 12 months instead. Incorporating is the step that opens up business contract hire over terms up to 12 months.
Get a written quote
Tell us the vehicle, the mileage and how long you need it for. We come back with a written quote, and we aim to do that the same working day. We confirm which agreement applies before anything is signed.
- ✓ Your agreement is with FleetMe
- ✓ We confirm your quote in writing
- ✓ Business rentals quoted ex VAT, with VAT shown
Enquiry received, one step to go.
We can put a guide figure together from what you’ve told us. To confirm the vehicle, the monthly rental and a delivery date in writing, we need your business details and the underwriting information.
Next step · about 5 minutes
Complete your business application
It’s pre-filled from your answers. Nothing is committed until we confirm your quote and you sign.
Continue to my application →No obligation · About 5 minutes
Prefer to leave it there? We’ll still be in touch about your enquiry.
Common questions
Does a dropside carry more than a tipper?
On the same chassis, yes. The tipping body, ram and subframe on a tipper are heavy and come out of payload, and a dropside does not have them. Guide payload for the dropside we supply is shown on its vehicle page.
How should a load be secured on a dropside?
With restraint rated for the load, normally ratchet straps with corner protection, arranged so nothing can move under an emergency stop. Dropped sides are for access, not restraint. Re-check the straps after the first few miles, because loads settle.
Can I have a ladder rack and toolbox fitted?
Yes, and it is best specified at quote stage so it is part of the vehicle we supply. Anything fitted afterwards needs to be agreed with us in writing first, because the vehicle is our asset and hand-back condition forms part of the contract.
Dropside or a large panel van?
A panel van keeps everything dry and locked and is better for tools and materials that must not get wet. A dropside is for anything awkward, long or loaded by forklift, where lifting it over a van sill is the problem you are trying to avoid.
Can a sole trader lease a dropside?
As an individual, a sole trader takes vehicle hire of up to 12 months rather than a lease. Business contract hire over terms up to 12 months is for limited companies and LLPs.
Business van leasing →
How the monthly rental is built, what is included and what is not, and who it is for.
Van size and payload guide →
How to work out what you can legally carry before you choose a body.