Types of Heavy Haul Trailers
As you consider which type of trailer to buy for your trucking business, you may become disoriented by the sheer number of choices available to you. Who knew there were so many ways to drag something big and heavy from here to there?
What are the different types of heavy haul trailers, and what are they good for? This guide will break down some of your options so you can buy with confidence.
First Things First — How Many Axles?
One of the first choices you will need to make is how many axles the trailer should have. You will find trailers with axel splits from five, all the way to nineteen and beyond.
Generally speaking, the more axels you go with, the greater the capacity you can haul. State, federal, and bridge limits apply, and each axel will have its own weight rating — meaning you may have to reposition the load to distribute the weight safely over each axel.
Types of Heavy Haul Trailers
Flatbed Trailer
You can’t get much simpler — a flatbed trailer is basically a flat platform mounted on top of various numbers of axles. With it, you can haul loads up to 8.6 feet high. Perfect for hauling standard containers, lumber, or long pipes.
Step Deck Trailer
A step deck trailer is a common type of heavy-haul trailer that doesn’t sit at one uniform level. It is higher at the gooseneck, where the trailer connects to the tractor, and then drops down with a “step” closer to the rear axle or axles.
With this lower elevation, loads as high as 10 feet can be hauled. Smaller items with a maximum height of 8.6 feet can be placed on the upper deck, with taller loads riding on the lower deck.
Step deck trailers are commonly used for hauling tractors, excavators, building materials, and agricultural materials.
Drop Deck Trailer
As with a step deck trailer, a drop deck trailer changes in height. In this case, past the front axle and the gooseneck it drips low, and then raises in elevation towards the rear axle, creating a kind of “well” or “valley” in the middle of the trailer bed.
Drop deck trailers can get quite low to the ground, enabling you to legally haul loads as tall as 12 feet high. Great for hauling heavy equipment like bulldozers, forklifts, and cranes.
Stretch Trailer
This is actually not a separate type of trailer at all. Instead, it is a feature common to the other types of trailers.
A stretch trailer is not of fixed length. It contains an extension section between the major axel positions so you can change the length of the trailer. As you can imagine, this makes the trailer quite versatile. For example, a two-axle stretch flatbed can extend anywhere from 48 to 80 feet.
Stretch trailers are available in flatbed, step deck, and drop deck configurations. Comes in very handy should you have the opportunity to haul overlong freight or freight of various lengths.
Removable Gooseneck (RGN) Trailer
Removable gooseneck (RGN) trailers can detach the trailer bed from the gooseneck (where the trailer connects to the tractor). When detached, the bed tilts down to form a kind of ramp.
This makes an RGN trailer ideal for moving heavy equipment like bulldozers or backhoes, because the equipment can simply be driven onto the bed in ramp-mode and then reconnected to the gooseneck when the equipment is secured.
Dual Lane Trailer
As you can imagine, dual-lane trailers take up more than one highway lane. They’re the ticket for hauling the heaviest of loads — for example, entire houses and other oversized equipment.
Need a specific trailer for your haul, or need help deciding which one to choose? Reach out to Vulcan today! We’re happy to help.