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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.
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 Advice
Shop 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.
La Mesa, CA - based
writer David Engle specializes in construction-related topics.
GEC
- May/June 2003
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