You paid for it, you used it. Now you realize you made a big mistake. Too late, you discovered the weak beams or realized this rig can’t haul the load you’d hoped it would. You thought you researched the trailer market sufficiently. You remember kicking the tires to determine the product’s quality and suitability. But now you’re stuck with a disappointment. Worst of all, perhaps, as business investments go, trailers add nothing to your bottom line. As one land improvement contractor put it, “They’re just a necessary evil.”Mistakes on trailer purchases are easy to make, too, because the profusion manufacturers – unlike heavy-equipment makers – aren’t composed of a few big, substantial firms; rather, many are relative unknowns serving regional markets. Dozens of trailer makers can be found across NAFTA-land, ranging from small workshops to several substantial old-line companies. Even more have been springing up assertively in recent years. Given this array of options (and the likelihood that you’re not thoroughly versed in trailer technology), it’s small wonder if you ended up buying a tri-axled disappointment.To help you avoid future buyer’s remorse of this kind, we asked a dozen heavy-equipment haulers to share their insights, opinions, advice, tips, horror stories, and practical suggestions on acquiring the right model and size. Most are current or past presidents of state Land Improvement Contractors Association (LICA) chapters, with lengthy and varied experience. For an even broader perspective, we also spoke with several leading manufacturers. Condensed below are commentaries covering the half-dozen most critical areas, the ones where buyers seem to make mistakes or are more likely to regret a purchase. Next time you’re in need of an equipment transport solution, be sure to look most carefully at these factors.The first is a question – Do You Really Need That New Trailer at All?“Ninety-five percent of the time,” admits Harry Dibble, a small-scale LICA contractor in Corfu, NY, “our trailers just sit there doing nothing.” Dibble is referring candidly to his three-axle, 40-ton lowboy and 10-ton-capacity Winston tag-along – but he’s echoing a widespread tale of underutilization and capacity limitation. Of his eight earthmoving pieces, only a Caterpillar D6 dozer and an excavator require frequent transport. To haul his larger pieces, he must call an outside carrier with a 35-ton rig.Trailer ownership ties up money and time. It adds headaches. It increases your business risks. Thus, the most basic question is whether you should plan on buying ever-bigger and -stronger trailers – or keep relying on good movers. If you’re fortunate enough to need only a few big hauls a month, the answer is clearly don’t buy, although many contractors do for the perceived convenience.More and more, though, the economics of contracting seem to favor outsourcing. Ron Frick, trucking operations manager of Poindexter Transport Inc., observes that these days, even a cheap, used trailer suitable for a small to medium-size contractor, “is going to cost around $30,000, and a used truck to pull it, around $45,000.” A larger, newer tractor-trailer rig will run close to half a million dollars. To cost-justify even a modest purchase, you should be using the rig “a minimum of 15 times a week,” he believes. Are you going to be utilizing your five- or six-figure investment that often? If not, consider passing on it or at least scrutinizing the costs more fully before deciding. Frick points out, “A lot of contractors don’t look at all of their expenses well enough before they decide to buy. [Besides the initial outlay,] you need to figure on license fees, road taxes, fuel, permits, driver costs, employment taxes, and maintenance.” Above all, you need soaring and hard-to-obtain insurance. “If you’re only moving a few loads a month,” he concludes, “it’s just not worth it.”Besides the cost factors, you also will have to keep up with federal, state, and county governments, “who change the ball game on you about every two months,” he mildly exaggerates. The United States Department of Transportation has in fact just implemented a new load securement rule this year, directly impacting heavy-equipment haulers. “I’ll bet 80% of all small contractors don’t have a clue about this law,” Frick adds. (Note: It’s known as 49 CFR Parts 392 and 393; FMCSA972289; RIN 2126AA27.)By deciding to buy large, expensive trailers to haul your biggest pieces, you might wind up hauling loads for others as well. It’s not uncommon. We encountered several such informal co-opstyle arrangements. In one extreme progression of this, Frick’s employer, Poindexter Transport, actually began as Poindexter Excavating Inc. – then spun off a separate transportation company. Its 18 lowboys and dozens of other trailers are now hired out to haul other firms’ heavy equipment most of the time, Frick notes.A second, related question is – Am I Buying a Trailer Adequate for Future Needs?
Hauling constantly at the load-capacity limit, and being unable to haul the heaviest equipment, is another common theme of contrition. Contractors naturally prefer to invest not in trailers but in better digging equipment. Thus, aging trailers tend to stay in service for years on end, not being upgraded, and becoming even more outgrown and outmoded. Whenever they are hitched up, they’re often loaded or overloaded so that they are wearing out even faster – and yet, if you’re like many, you’re probably no longer able to haul your biggest pieces.Sometimes this obsolescence cycle begins within months of the initial purchase. A key reason is that the hefty price of a rig able to meet needs for the next decade tends to intimidate contractors into buying too conservatively. They merely solve the immediate need. For instance, Gordon Lancaster of Lancaster Grade-All Service, based in Filer, ID, admits that this happened to him repeatedly: “When we bought a 30-ton trailer, we really needed a 50-ton. When we bought the 50, we needed a 60. Now that we’ve got the 65, it turns out we really needed the 70 or 80,” he laments. “We haven’t anticipated for growth. We always seem to be a little bit shy.”Lancaster digs into Idaho terrain, which he describes as “basically nothing but a lava bed with dirt over it,” and hence requires unusually heavy-duty machines and transports. His biggest, a 65-ton Allied, is barely able to tote his two behemoth “profit centers,” the 185,000-lb. Trencor 1460HD trenchers. Other digging pieces include a Trencor 1260HD Chain Trencher weighing 120,000 lb. and assorted excavators, backhoes, and loaders. Given such a lineup to carry, the six-axle Allied maxes out quickly and actually is too small for carrying either Trencor. When he must haul them, Lancaster first tears out the booms and chains (both at 20 tons each) to fit the deck area. “In and out, it takes us about five hours to do this,” he comments ruefully. “That’s what comes of having too light a trailer.”As an alternative to this chore, Lancaster gladly calls TNT Insured Towing of Boise, ID, to summon its 75-ton Aspen. It can move the Trencor without disassembly. At $400-$500 a shot, it’s easily worth it, he feels. For hauling the midsize Caterpillars and other pieces, he hitches an old 50-ton, three-axle Heister with fold-down gooseneck, or a twin-axle Peerless 35-ton trailer, to a pull-truck.Frequently, regardless of the load, Lancaster runs close to the maximum and feels constrained. New trailer prices “are terrible” at almost $200,000. He’s shopping for used ones in the $50,000$130,000 range. His advice: “Buy a heavier trailer than what you think you need. And check it over really good if buying used.”Larry Matthews of Matthews Brothers Grading near Winston-Salem, NC, likewise feels the size pinch when hauling his two relatively light Reid tag-alongs, the latest a 26-ft. 1990 model with a 20-ton capacity. He also owns a 35-ton Trailboss 2000 lowboy and deploys the three for hauling two-dozen excavators, scraper pans, dozers, and front-end loaders. “Fortunately, I’m not moving every day,” he states, so he can leave equipment parked at job sites, usually within 100 mi.As with most of the contractors we talked to, Matthews requires outside help with heavier pieces, such as his 50,000-lb. Deere excavator. A friend brings over a larger trailer, or Matthews calls a professional mover. “It’s the story of my life,” he relates. “We weren’t using that big equipment back when we bought our trailers.” In hindsight, he bought too small. Not long after getting the Trailboss, he wished it had a third axle. Now he’s looking to upgrade it. The only drawback of another axle, he concedes, is having four more tires to keep up.Increasingly, multiaxle trailers now are being recognized legally by more states, meaning that you can pull heavier payloads, several sources told us. However, Frick at Poindexter notes that if you purchase too large a trailer with multiple axles to serve all purposes, “You may end up being too heavy with your empty weight or when moving your little stuff.” You’ll face costlier tariffs or other restrictions.All in all, more than half of our contractors found that they had basically outgrown their trailer capacity before they’d planned to, putting a crimp in operations. It’s critical to right-size your trailer resources to meet anticipated needs.A third question to weigh carefully is – Should I Buy a Lowboy and Tractor or a Highboy Tag-Along?
Deck-height limitations were a third area of frequent disappointment – specifically, the frustration of not running low enough to the pavement. Today’s bulky earthmovers are being made taller than earlier models, especially excavators and trenchers. Higher cabs are also in vogue now. This means you might struggle to stay under the maximum height limits if you’re still running on an older trailer that isn’t optimized for lowest running. The consensus seems to be: “Buy the lowest-running lowboy trailer you possibly can” (i.e., one below 3 ft. in deck height).The primary reason for this is because in many states you’ll need to ride below about 13 or 14 ft. in order to be legal and to clear bridge spans, utility wires, and low limbs. Second, lower deck height is also preferable because the reduced angle of incline makes them easier to load and unload. In contrast, a highboy (i.e., a deck 4 ft. up or so) is often much more difficult to load, several contractors point out. Rod Frost, a small grading and wildlife habitat contractor in western Montana, maintains that loading heavy equipment onto a high-deck trailer could result in becoming overreliant on a loading dock or a winch. Frost runs his lowboy less than a foot off the ground, often hauling an oversized 11-ft.-wide dozer blade. Carrying such massive equipment, the difference of a few feet in height, or of riding up an easy, gradual slope, is very significant.Additionally, the higher center of gravity of some tall equipment on a highboy can make the resulting road trip something of a white-knuckle adventure if, say, you’re barreling down a mountain on a windy day.Several satisfied highboy users take the other side of this low-versus-high debate, however. The main appeal, of course, is that you can pull them along behind a dump truck or other multipurpose vehicle and forego the expense of a dedicated tractor. Being able to do this, and to save money, makes many contractors put up with the higher center of gravity, the unsteadiness, height restrictions, and other drawbacks.Matthews’s Trailboss, for instance, when loaded with an excavator, towers up to 14 ft. Having a lowboy instead “would make a big difference,” he admits, as he would gain about 2 ft. in vertical clearance and would squeeze under more bridges. As it is, his drivers need to remember where the low clearances are and simply detour around them, while keeping an eye out for limbs and wires. All factors considered, Matthews prefers the highboy tag trailer, especially for its hydraulic ramps.Low bridges and legal restrictions also are an almost-constant problem for Arno Heling of Heling Drainage in Watertown, WI. Bridge heights supposedly are standardized at less than 16 ft., he observes, but in reality many local and county spans loom up in the 11- to 13-ft. range. “That’s cutting it pretty close and iffy,” he says, “because 12 feet, 6 inches is supposedly the maximum height of my load on the trailer.” Constantly faced with having to clear a few more inches, Heling must stop and pull the trailer’s gooseneck pins in order to drop down “to probably an inch off the ground instead of the normal six,” he reports. This way he’ll usually squeeze under the span if the load is positioned with the high portion in front.Another solution to the tight clearance problem, when only a few extra inches are needed, is used by Jimmy Beddow of ER Trucking in Hartford, KY: He releases air from his air-suspension system, drives carefully under the low overpass, then reinflates.Due to Heling’s frequent need to detach the neck, he told us that the quick-release design of his 25-ton transport trailer was a prime factor in his purchase decision. “It’s as easy as one, two, three, and it only takes us five minutes,” he says. He thinks most contractors probably prefer front-end detachable goosenecks but notes that it’s a matter of personal preference.Thus, a fourth key consideration – Which Is the Best Loading/Unloading Method?Heling’s and others’ unexpected need to unhitch frequently is far from unusual. Several trailer makers have recognized this and responded by offering newer, better quick-release innovations. Rogers Brothers Trailers in Albion, PA, for one, specializes in an all-hydraulic, easy detachment system; the company also makes a tapered front-end beam that allows the front deck to get as low as 8 in. or so above the ground, compared to the more typical (and harder-to-mount) 16 in. On its higher tag-along trailers, Rogers Brothers has tried to wring out more precious inches in height by adding wheel indentations and redesigning and recessing the cross beams. “You fight for an inch or two of vertical clearance all day long, to remain under 13 feet, 6 or 7 inches.S” explains Sales Manager Denny Bartlett. Another manufacturer, Tongue-Twister Trailers in Mascotte, FL, has developed an unusual rotating load bed that allows both front and back on- and off-loading. A third trailer-maker, heavy-duty specialist Cozad Trailers in Stockton, CA, answers the loading/unloading challenge by offering a quick, single-pin, V-trough latching system. Cozad salesman Javier Garibay believes, “Quicker is always better,” and he claims that Cozad’s system can perhaps cut the time in half, compared to dual-pin systems. However, “most drivers are probably familiar with dual pins,” he adds, and all methods seem to work satisfactorily.
With this array of choices (and there are others), which one is best? It’s really a matter of your own experience, preference, and needs. That said, it is also true that some systems accommodate certain heavier equipment better than others do; some are easier, some faster, and some safer. Not surprisingly, several manufacturers offer not just an “either/or” choice but multiple options, front and rear.A key factor determining happiness or disappointment, mentioned by several contractors, is the relative ease of using rear-end ramps (“beaver-tails”) as opposed to detachable goosenecks. There’s also a certain reassurance in knowing that the ramps, unlike front-end gooseneck designs, can surmount the vagaries of occasionally unknown terrain. For example, on narrow shoulders or at muddy, sloping job sites, goosenecks can’t be easily detached every time, nor the tractors easily maneuvered. Several users remark that it’s faster and simpler to keep the goosenecks on and drop a ramp in back.Rod Frost in Montana hauls his excavators, backhoes, dozers, and loaders on a 35-ton Dynaweld lowboy. He encounters assorted ground conditions and, for this reason alone, feels that the beaver-tail is best for him. In business since 1975, Frost has never loaded or unloaded with anything but ramps, and he much prefers that design. Two hinged inclines, left and right, slope behind the back tires. Once he arrives at a site, he steps onto the trailer’s rear and throws the ramps “up and over” the back. “They flop right down,” he describes. “I unload the equipment, then throw the ramps back up and drive away. It’s very easy and quick.”Frost also likes the reduced wear and tear and easier maintenance of ramps, where the hydraulics of uncoupling aren’t a factor and where the gooseneck stays attached. His Dynaweld – purchased four years ago for $17,000 – is his second, and Frost likes its enclosed wheel wells, which yield a continuous deck. An optional full-width, almost flat-angled gooseneck also allows loading of smaller support equipment up front. “It’s just worked out superbly for me,” he remarks of this design, as it allows him to haul anything up to his 45,000-lb. excavator. For larger loads he calls a carrier. “It’s easier on my nerves and in the permitting,” he notes.Matthews in North Carolina raves that he is “tickled to death” with the rear ramps on his three-year-old Trailboss. “You can lay your ramps down and unload right over a curb or whatever and not have to unload in the middle of the street [as with detachable goosenecks].” Ramps raise and lower hydraulically. “I just back up to the job and unload. I pull the lever, and the ramps lay down on the ground. I drive [the equipment] off, hit the button, and raise them up again,” he explains.On the other side of the issue – favoring detachable necks – Allan Schumacher in Zumbrota, MN, says he was very pleased when he traded in his Heister beaver-tail design for a gooseneck trailer a few years ago. “Loading is so much nicer now, as you’re close to the ground,” observes Schumacher, who does excavating, site prep, and earthmoving. Although his departed beaver-tail was a lowboy, it was not as low as the gooseneck type, the difference being a foot. “A foot makes a big difference here,” he stresses. “Most of our excavating equipment is right on borderline for height, [reaching 15.5 feet]. We see a lot of low bridges. You don’t want to be higher than 13 feet, 6 inches.”Schumacher bought an XL Specialized Trailer with 50-ton capacity, made in nearby Oelwein, IA. He needed something big enough to haul his Cat D6R and D7H dozers and various Cat excavators. Occasionally he hauls two at once, but in general he doesn’t keep the XL or other trailer all that busy. The biggest thing that sold him on XL’s gooseneck design, besides being manufactured nearby, was its being easier to work with than the rest of them, Schumacher relates. General Manager Scott Wall points out that XL has developed and patented a “cheater” gooseneck with a hydraulic sliding kingpin, allowing weight to be shifted back and forth from trailer to truck axles. This can reduce the need to shift and rearrange loads manually, and it has proven extremely popular, he adds.Garibay of Cozad Trailers sees and hears occasional tales of woe about substandard, overloaded, or mishandled trailers, and he tends to agree with the front-end detachable gooseneck devotees – although Cozad trailers are designed for both front and rear loading. Although drivers often tell him they prefer the ease of rear ramps, “In all honesty, it’s probably safest to take the gooseneck off to unload anytime you can, even though our trailers are designed to be loaded either way,” he advises. “In some cases, drivers don’t have a choice but to rear load.” Ramps increase the degree of hazard, especially if they’re positioned manually on a slope or by a relatively inexperienced driver. Loading or unloading a machine down unsteady ramps on soft terrain can raise your blood pressure several points, especially if the operator seems unsure of himself.The same could be said, of course, of gooseneck detaching and reattaching. Ultimately, any method is probably easy, safe, reliable, and quick enough – once the driver is skilled in doing it.A fifth solid piece of advice is – Spend More Money to Get Construction Quality“Trailer trash,” unfortunately, is out there, several users told us. Observes Bartlett, “There are three or four manufacturers in our business who are putting out junk. It’s affecting all of us now.” If you’re one buyer who was reeled-in by a lowball price tag, you’re probably experiencing regrets.Matt Rust was displeased soon after purchasing a new 50-ton capacity. He’s now eager to find a buyer, though it’s only six or seven years old. “It’s not very well built,” he admits. But at $25,000 the price was about half that of competing models. “They’re a cheap brand. For somebody who might use this trailer only once every two weeks, you can’t hardly afford to buy a nicer one,” maintains Rust, who operates as Rust Construction in Seymour, IN.He continues, “When you see a good-quality trailer going down the road empty, it’s kind of humped up, and when it’s loaded, it stretches down. It’s like a big spring, and the metal is prestressed.” By contrast, he adds, a lesser-quality trailer is straight and flat when empty, and when loaded, it’s bowed down. Maintenance on the shoddily built trailer “is kind of a mess,” he says. “You see them at auctions all the time.”Merlin Welch, an earthmoving contractor in Lemoore, CA, observes, “If a trailer’s price is too cheap to be believed, something’s not right.” Besides owning a land improvement business, Welch teaches equipment operation and hauling at West Hills College in Coalinga, CA. He owns three trailers and 20 heavy-equipment pieces.Poorly built trailers seem to be on the increase, Welch notes. One telltale sign of bad workmanship is its welding. He and several others mention this as critical to trailer quality. “Too many wire welds are being used now” on these slipshod productions, instead of proper arc welds, he points out.Garibay thinks that, for consistency of quality, trailer welding should be done with beam welders, on flat rather than vertical surfaces, and at controlled temperature conditions – which are, unfortunately, far from universal. Ask your trailer salesman about methods used. Lancaster in Idaho – who has built a trailer by hand himself – points out that when you inspect a trailer, you should make sure that cross-pieces and members aren’t welded across the flanges. Any welds there “and they’ll eventually snap like a toothpick,” he says, especially on the main frame. Bad welding is often tough to spot. You’ll need to inspect all metal surfaces thoroughly and, if possible, bring along a qualified welder to check the metallurgy and fabrication. This is especially critical if you’re looking at a used or off-brand model. He adds that new paint on a used trailer scares him to death, as it might cover up metal stress that is turning brittle. A maxed-out old trailer, he continues, will show excessive flexing action, at which point that beam will break on you, especially if it was welded improperly.On a more positive note, Welch points out that pride in craftsmanship is also enjoying a comeback of sorts. You can sometimes find high-quality “overbuilt” trailers for sale, constructed with materials and methods exceeding the usual specs. Look for them in construction trade classifieds and other specialty publications. His advice: “Buy a big, heavyweight, well-built trailer that will last; one that will flex but won’t crack. It’ll survive a lot longer than lightweight stuff made with thinner materials and less bracing.”Several contractors emphasized the need to buy extra-rugged trailers if you’re hauling jumbo equipment off the roadway. The twists, turn, and bumps over land “will put incredible strains on beams and joints,” Lancaster warns. Even if you rarely leave the paved road, only one bad trip can bring ruin. Extra-heavy-duty construction will pay for itself in prolonged durability and resale value.A final tip from Welch: “Buy a wooden-deck trailer, not an all-metal one.” Wood is less slippery, more stable for footing, and easier to clean. Pecan, mahogany, or other hard wood is preferred over fir plywood. Boards should be spaced to allow for expansion and to let gravel, dirt, and water fall out.Lastly – Remember and Follow All the Usual Smart Shopping AdviceShop among the most reputable manufacturers.You’ll want to get feedback and second and third opinions from trusted sources – not just from a few contractors but from heavy-equipment haulers who pull loads every day and especially from those who’re hauling your type of equipment on similar roads, regions, or terrains. What trailers do they like and dislike? What have they found wrong with any of them? Especially when looking for a rig for very heavy or tall equipment, ask the equipment dealer to recommend suitable trailers or reliable short-haul carriers. Ask about methods for solving the height clearance problem or improving on the weight distribution.Check thoroughly into new, emerging technology so that you don’t miss out on a product innovation or design that you would value.Be sure, too, that you buy from sources with adequate product liability insurance. “Many smaller trailer shops aren’t insured,” Wall of XL Specialty Trailers reports, adding, “Many buyers don’t realize the risk they’re putting themselves and their companies under by buying products from substandard or underinsured manufacturers.”You probably know that a number of manufacturers allow various degrees of full customization or other built-in features. Check with such firms as Trail King, Albert,Interstate Trailer, XL Specialty, Cozad, and Rogers Brothers for specific options. You can even get one-of-a-kind designs, if need be, which might be necessary to ensure suitability for the next generation of jumbo excavators.Trailers might always remain a necessary evil, but with a well-conceived strategy on whether and what to buy, you can at least get ones suitable to the job.
