Straitline Canvas is a household name in transport circles, having produced canvas products since 1975. Over the years this Palmerston North-based family business has continued to innovate, and today is the leading manufacturer of transport textiles in the lower North Island.
Experience and attention to detail. That‘s what makes a quality installation when it comes to curtains, tarps and covers, says Patrick Currie, general manager of Straitline Canvas. With 45 years behind it, it‘s fair to say the company has institutionalised high levels of experience and attention to detail, especially so since the early 2000s when its focus shifted towards transport products on a New Zealand-wide scale. Originally, Straitline was a general canvas manufacturer, selling to transport companies and farmers in the Manawatu region. In the 1990s, it focused increasingly on the commercial and home markets, selling side curtains, tarpaulins, shade sails, patio blinds and more, and these products still form a large part of the company. Straitline also manufactures custom products for other New Zealand businesses, focusing on the utility, manufacturing, and government/defence sectors. Straitline sells direct to end users, as well as supplying parts and manufactured components to other industrial textile companies and transport engineers around New Zealand.
Photo: The company also specialises in accessories and equipment.
But we‘re talking transport, and in this regard you don‘t have to inspect many trucks to find the Straitline brand on side curtains, elliptical rollover covers, conventional rollover covers, hot mix covers, mesh truck covers, silage covers, tarpaulins and fertiliser truck rollover covers, thermal barriers, stock crate covers … we could go on, and include ute and trailer covers… “A more recent addition is our range of accessories – mostly for side curtains and elliptical rollovers. We‘re still adding to this range, but we have most things a truckie or engineer would need, from track and pelmet systems through to straps, buckles, and poles. We‘ve got a few exciting new products coming out over the next six months – so watch this space!” says Currie. During lockdown, Straitline even developed a range of vehicle dividers for the likes of trucks and taxis. “Fortunately New Zealand seems to have avoided the need for them!” Currie says.
Photo: Thermal barriers – not as simple as they look.
No matter the product, Straitline prioritises high quality, efficiency in manufacturing, ease of use, and giving the customer what they want. While there are no specific standards for most covers, truck curtains need to be certified load restraints. Straitline got its first certification in 1997 and had it updated in 2016 for the latest curtain design. “Our double track system is also certified to the same standard,” Currie says. Similarly, Straitline follows the latest global standards in material technology, such as Europe‘s REACH regulation, introduced in 2007, that requires manufacturers to reduce the amount of harmful chemicals used in their products. “All our European fabrics (including our Transport 9000 and Outdoor 6000 PVC ranges) comply with REACH. Keeneyed truckies may have noticed that the Mehler 8556 of today feels thinner than it used to. This is due to a combination of REACH and the calendering process used to make 8556,” Currie says. “We‘re constantly researching and testing design improvements for our products, including thermal barriers,” he adds. Straitline‘s thermal barriers have a plywood core with 40mm of closed cell foam insulation, covered in a tough European PVC skin. Closed cell foam is essential for maintaining different temperature zones, while the plywood core provides the strength needed to prevent warping or bending.
Photo: Straitline Canvas offers a range of covers for almost any requirement.
Straitline also offers a repair service, including a callout curtain repair service in Palmerston North (for the rest of New Zealand, Straitline has a network of installers and repairers). However, says Currie, with some care this shouldn‘t be needed often. “Keeping your curtains, tarpaulins or covers well maintained is always important. A small rip today will eventually become a large rip if it isn‘t fixed,” he says. “Possibly the most important tip is to keep your side curtain, tarpaulin, or truck cover tight. Nothing delaminates a cover faster than flapping! For side curtains, make sure they are tensioned correctly to increase the life of your curtain. Tarpaulins and truck covers need to be the right size, designed to fit the truck or load they‘re being used on, and must be tied down well so they can‘t flap.” Experience, attention to detail, and an obsession with quality – Straitline Canvas is a name well entrenched in the local trucking market down to the last detail. As Currie says, “it‘s the small details that make the difference between a quality install and an ugly install!”
