Successfully Using A Heavy Equipment Trailer
Using a heavy equipment trailer requires more than just driving skill. Planning for a trailer, finding the right trailer, and then not overloading the trailer -- not to mention ensuring the trailer will be worth something should you need to sell it or trade it in -- isn't the easiest. But if you know what to look for and what to account for when calculating loads, you'll do fine.
Forgotten Calculations
Trailers for heavy equipment are rated with weight. If you get a trailer that can hold a certain amount of weight, then you shouldn't carry anything that weighs more than that in the trailer. That sounds simple at first because it sounds like all you have to do is ensure whatever you carry is rated at a lighter weight than what the trailer can carry. However, what a lot of people forget is that the equipment they carry on the trailer will also have accessories, you'll have tie-downs and restraints for the equipment, and the equipment might have fuel in it. All of that can easily send the weight of what you're carrying above the rated weight of the trailer. Always remember to include the weights of those items when calculating whether you can carry equipment.
Remember Your Own Trailer
If you are using the trailer behind a vehicle that is already towing something, like a box truck or dump truck, double-check that the weight of the compartment on the vehicle (the box portion, for example, on a box truck) plus the weight of the trailer plus the weight of the equipment you carry on the trailer (and fuel, etc.) are all within the range that is OK for your vehicle's cab to tow. You don't want to end up ripping your truck in half because the truck, trailer, and equipment were too much for the connection between the front and back of the truck. It sounds bizarre, but you can do some damage this way.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
Related to this is the gross vehicle weight rating, or GVWR. This is the total weight of the vehicle you're driving from driver's cab down to the end of the trailer and the equipment on top. Exceed this, and you could face tickets and fines. You need to know the whole weight because, if you encounter a road with a weight maximum, you don't want to turn onto it if your vehicle weighs too much.
Keep Your Records
Finally, keep all your records related to the trailer. If you eventually want to sell or trade in the trailer, accurate, complete records can help you get a better deal because you can show what work has been done on the trailer to keep it in good condition.
Go through the calculations step by step, and remember that lots of people and companies have heavy equipment trailers. You can find the right one for your purposes.
