How Blind Rivets Are Used in Autos, Trucks, and the Entire Transporting Industry!

July 3, 2025

Rivets assortment, Rivetking, Goebel, Rivet Nut USA

 

When we think about the massive system that keeps goods moving across America — from coast to coast and everywhere in between — we picture autos, semi-trucks, freight trains, cargo ships, and warehouses. But have you ever stopped to think about what’s holding all of that together?

Meet the unnoticed hero of freight and transportation: the Blind Rivet.

These small, powerful fasteners play a huge role in how products are transported safely and efficiently from one end of the country to the other. Here’s how blind rivets help power the transportation industry across the U.S.

What Are Blind Rivets?

blind rivet anatomy drawing

 

Blind rivets are a type of fastener used when the installer can only access the front side of the material and the backside of the material remains “blind” to the installer — like when securing panels on a truck trailer or cargo container. This makes them the superior choice for manufacturing trucks and trailers, when speed, reliability, and strength are most important.

Once inserted into a pre-drilled round hole, a rivet installation gun pulls on the rivet mandrel, pulling the mandrel into the rivet body, expanding the body and locking the rivet into place.  Typically, the mandrel breaks off and a certain installation load is achieved. The installed rivet is now holding two (or more) pieces of material together. The joint is considered secure, vibration-resistant and certain rivets can offer a water-tight seal.

Blind Rivet Features

  • Easy to install
  • Lightweight yet strong
  • Resistant to vibration and weather

Once installed, they form a tight, permanent bond — perfect for keeping freight vehicles and infrastructure secure.

Types of Blind Rivets

Building the Backbone of Freight Transport

Blind rivets are a go-to solution in the manufacture of transportation vehicles. These vehicles must withstand stress, weight, and environmental exposure, which is why the blind rivet is a go to option, as it offers durability, weight reduction, and corrosion-resistance.

Blind rivets are a go-to solution in the manufacturing of transportation vehicles like:

  • Rivet nuts, rivets, transportation, industry, american-made, usaSemi-truck trailers: Manufacturers typically fasten aluminum panels on semi-trailers with blind rivets, since welding takes too long and limits flexibility.
  • Freight railcars: The metal siding and structural reinforcements of railcars often rely on blind rivets to endure vibration and weather extremes.
  • Cargo vans: Blind rivets can be installed in any make/model conversion van similar to a truck trailer. Click here to read our article about how a similar but different type of fastener, the PLUSNUT®, is used in cargo vans!
  • Shipping containers: These containers are built to handle long hauls across sea and land. Blind rivets offer strong, weather-tight seals that support longevity and security.

Whether it’s a refrigerated trailer hauling produce or a container crossing the ocean, blind rivets help build the structures that carry America’s goods.

Truck Brands That Use Blind Rivets

  • Daimler AG
  • Ford
  • Freightliner
  • Kenworth
  • Mack
  • Navistar International
  • PACCAR
  • Peterbilt
  • Volvo
  • Western Star

Essential for Fast, On-the-Go Repairs

Things break — especially in transportation, where trucks and equipment are on the move 24/7. Blind rivets make quick, durable repairs possible without needing heavy-duty welding or disassembly.

Fleet mechanics use them to:

  • Patch damaged panels
  • Secure loose components
  • Keep trucks on the road and avoid delays

Every minute a truck is off the road due to repair work costs money — blind rivets offer easy replacement and help fleets to stay on the road, minimizing costly downtime and keeping supply chains moving efficiently.

Strengthening the Infrastructure

It’s not just vehicles — blind rivets are found throughout freight infrastructure especially where there is constant use and exposure to a variety of environments:

  • Loading Docks
  • Conveyor Systems
  • Freight Terminals
  • Distribution Centers
  • Warehouse Structures

Why Blind Rivets Are the Go-To Fastener

RivetKing® Blind Rivets, Standard Blind RivetsHere’s why manufacturers and mechanics love them:

  • One-sided access = faster installation
  • Lightweight = better fuel efficiency
  • Weather- and corrosion-resistant
  • Affordable and reliable
  • Strong under stress (especially important in transit)
  • Vibration Resistance: Crucial for heavy-haul vehicles and railcars

In a world where efficiency and operation time are everything, these little fasteners deliver exceptional performance in a small component.

 

 

Small Fasteners, Big Impact

While GPS tracking, fuel efficiency, logistics software, and massive rigs often get the spotlight, it’s the small things — like blind rivets — that hold the transportation industry together and ensure everything runs smoothly.

They make it possible to build, maintain, and repair the systems that move nearly everything we depend on across the nation and around the world. Blind Rivets make sure to keep America’s goods moving. In a country where nearly everything—from food and fuel to medicine and electronics—relies on dependable transportation, blind rivets are the unsung heroes keeping the supply chain tightly fastened.

Blind Rivets play an important role in the transportation of goods that support all industries across America and worldwide. They are strong, cost-effective, and easy to use, making them essential in transporting products.

Contact Rivet Nut USA™, a division of Cardinal Components, Inc., for more information or to request a quote on how Blind Rivets can help your assembly! A member of our knowledgeable customer service team can find the right Rivet for your needs!