Every business is different, and no two shipments have the exact unique transportation needs. With countless types of trailers to choose from, it can be hard to decipher which trailer has the best capabilities to fulfill your shipping needs.
Keep reading to learn about 10 of the most common types of trailers, their abilities, and which would be the best option for your cargo.
Overview: 10 Types of Freight Trailers
- Standard Dry Van Trailers
- Flatbed Trailers
- Reefer Trailers
- Lowboy Flatbed Trailers
- Straight Truck-Bobtail Trailers
- Step-Deck Trailers
- Conestoga Trailers
- Pup-Trailers
- Hot Shot Trailers
- Removable Gooseneck Trailers (RGN)
Standard Dry Van Trailers
What Are Standard Dry Van Trailers Best for?
Standard dry van trailers have an enclosed container to protect freight from the elements and to keep products dry. Standard dry van trailers are the best option for loose, boxed, or palletized shipments, and due to their shape, you can back them directly into a loading dock.
Everyday items such as household goods, non-perishable food, and clothing are all usually shipped via standard dry van trailers. They are the most commonly used trailer option and are a cost-effective, multifaceted option for businesses.
Standard Dry Van Trailer Specs
Standard dry van trailers typically measure 53 feet and have an enclosed, box-like structure. They weigh anywhere from 42,000 to 45,000 pounds. Because cargo remains inside the trailer, standard dry van trailers are not fit to carry oversized shipments.
Flatbed Trailers
What Are Flatbed Trailers Best for?
Flatbed trailers have an open back and sides, making them the ideal option for accessible loading and unloading. Like standard dry van trailers, exporters frequently use flatbed trailers to ship a wide variety of different products.
Flatbed trailers are commonly used to transport cargo such as construction equipment, steel, lumber, and other open-air commodities.
Due to the open-air aspect of flatbed trailers, shippers typically cover cargo with tarps, tie-down straps, transport chains, or binders to ensure freight is kept safe and secure during transit.
Flatbed Trailer Specs
Standard flatbed trailers come in multiple different sizing options. They range in size from 24, 40, 45, 48, or 53 feet in length, although 48-foot-long trailers are the most commonly-used size option for flatbed trailers.
Flatbed trailers are elevated approximately five feet off the ground and can hold cargo with a maximum average height and width of 8 feet and 6 inches. On average, flatbed trailers can transport a maximum weight of 48,000 pounds.
Reefer Trailers
What Are Reefer Trailers Best for?
Refrigerated trailers, also known as reefer trailers, ensure cargo remains in a refrigerated, climate-controlled temperature. Reefer trailers feature insulated walls to protect freight from the outside elements.
Reefer trailers are the best option when shipping perishable items such as pharmaceuticals, frozen food, and fruit. Reefer trailers can also be used during the winter months to prevent freeze.
Reefer Trailer Specs
Reefer trailers can only transport items with a maximum height and width of 8 feet, 2 inches because refrigerated trailers have insulated walls that limit the room for cargo. Reefer trailers can hold a maximum weight of 42,000 to 45,000 pounds.
Lowboy Flatbed Trailers
What Are Lowboy Flatbed Trailers Best for?
Lowboy flatbed trailers, also known as a low bed or float trailers, have a double drop trailer closer to the ground than any other trailer. Lowboy trailers are an excellent option if you ship tall cargo, such as large machinery. Flatbed trailers are the perfect option for shipping tall, heavy freight.
They are usually the preferred choice for transporting construction equipment, farm equipment, and more.
Lowboy Flatbed Trailer Specs
Lowboy flatbed trailers can carry a maximum cargo weight ranging from 40,000 to 80,000 pounds, depending on the number of axles included on the trailer. Lowboy flatbed trailers usually have a well space of approximately 29 inches. The maximum legal measurement of freight that lowboy flatbed trailers can carry is 11 feet, 6 inches.
Straight Truck-Bobtail Trailers
What Are Straight Truck-Bobtail Trailers Best for?
A straight truck or bobtail trailer combines the cargo box, cab, and sleeper, meaning the trailer is fixed onto the vehicle. Straight trucks are an excellent option for those looking for a low-maintenance, cost-effective alternative to fulfill their shipping needs because the trailer is built-in to the truck.
Straight Truck-Bobtail Trailer Specs
Straight truck or bobtail trailers can hold up to 33,000 pounds in freight weight. They typically measure anywhere from 8 to 10 feet in height and between 10 to 26 feet in length.
Step-Deck Trailers
What Are Step-Deck Trailers Best for?
Step-deck trailers, also known as drop deck trailers, are an excellent option when your cargo needs a higher height capacity. Step-deck trailers are the best and safest type of trailers to use when unloading by forklift because they are closer to the ground.
Step-Deck Trailer Specs?
Step-deck trailers have a ramp for unloading and contain two levels, including an upper and lower deck. Flatbed trailers are raised 60 inches above the ground, whereas step-deck trailers are closer to the ground to accommodate loads taller than 8 feet.
Conestoga Trailers
What Are Conestoga Trailers Best for?
Conestoga trailers have built-in tarps for secure, versatile transportation. Each tarp is retractable, allowing for easy loading and unloading. There are multiple Conestoga trailers including Conestoga flatbed trailers, step-deck Conestogas, and double-drop Conestogas.
Conestogas protect cargo from the elements, decrease the possibility of damage and make unloading cargo easier.
Conestoga Trailer Specs
Depending on the Conestoga trailer you choose, the height and weight of the freight that you can transport varies.
Conestoga flatbed trailers and step-decks come in 48 and 53-foot types, whereas standard double-drop Conestogas typically measure approximately 48 feet and can hold up to 35,000 pounds of freight.
Flatbed Conestogas can hold up to 44,000 pounds in cargo weight, and step-deck Conestogas can typically support approximately 41,000 pounds.
Pup-Trailers
What Are Pup-Trailers Best for?
Pup-trailers are smaller in size and are best for smaller shipments going to multiple separate destinations. Two or three pup-trailers are commonly used simultaneously to deliver smaller shipments to various clients with individual delivery locations.
Pup-Trailer Specs
Pup-trailers typically measure between 26 to 28 feet and can hold a maximum of 22,000 pounds.
Hot Shot Trailers
What Are Hot Shot Trailers Best for?
Hot shot trailers are the best option for transporting smaller, scheduled shipments. They are best for transporting less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments with specific delivery or pickup timeframe windows.
Hot shot trailers are typically attached to medium-to-large trucks transporting cargo over short or long distances.
Hot Shot Trailer Specs
Hot shot trailers have a 28-inch long, 83-inch wide deck and can attach directly to any truck larger than a Ford F250.
Removable Gooseneck Trailers (RGN)
What Are RGN Trailers Best for?
Removable gooseneck trailers or RGN trailers are the perfect choices when shipping long and tall freight. The front portion of the trailer is detachable, making it easy to lower cargo onto a ramp.
RGN Trailer Specs
RGN trailers can carry up to 42,000 pounds of freight because they typically have more than 20 axles. They have a maximum height of 11.6 feet, a maximum cargo length of 29 feet, and a maximum well length of 29 feet.
Choosing the Best Type of Trailer for You
Once you have evaluated your shipping needs, it may be time to acquire the help of a freight transportation provider that can help connect you to the perfect carrier.
RPM leverages a network of more than 30,000 carriers that will fulfill your shipping needs and streamline the shipping process for your business.
Are you interested in freight trailers? Visit RPM today to learn how we can help.
Sources:
9 Types of Trailers in the Trucking Industry and Which Fits Your Freight Needs | USCC
What is a Conestoga Trailer? | ATS
What is Hot-Shot Trucking | truckstop.com
What is The Difference Between a Straight Truck and a Semi Truck? | Rechtien
What Are The Common Trailer Types Used in The Trucking Industry? | ATS
